Illicit Memories
by Nehszriah
Summary: They tried to kill him and are now his nakama. How he attempts to adjust to the new guys in the crew, new adventures with nakama and still keep ghosts from his past in check.
1. Reflection

Time for another _One Piece _fiction by Nehszriah! -flag waves- I do not own _One Piece_, for I am not the Oda. Please bear with me and this story and before questions are given, check the Author's Notes at the bottom of the chapter please.

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**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Reflection_

Roronoa Zoro looked over the ship's railing to gaze longingly at the shore before him. It was the mainland, the thin strip of land that encircled the world in a way so that it was squared up with the Grand Line. He paused in his casual walk to lean on the rail and look towards the lush green horizon, purple majestic mountains gracing the backdrop to the land that he was informed to be a barrier to farmland rich in crops.

_I've missed solid ground_, he thought as he ran his fingers through his green hair and sighed. _Sure we have come across islands in the Grand Line, but now that we are in the East Blue again, the insanity should die down for a bit. Maybe I should ask Luffy for some shore leave so that I can train in the mountains. It would do me good to train in the cold._

"Hey Zoro," someone said, snapping Zoro back to the present. He turned his head to see Nami the navigator standing there. Her face was one of a concerned lover, for that is what she had become to the green-haired swordsman He loved Nami dearly now, her having matured into a beautiful woman since they had first met twenty years earlier. "Are you ready to go ashore? Luffy wants to get to the mainland by sunset."

"Sure," Zoro replied. "I was just wondering about maybe asking about getting some shore leave so that I can train."

"Let's talk to Luffy about that after dinner."

"Does Sanji have dinner ready at this hour?"

"No. We're getting dinner when we reach port," Nami sighed before she walked off to go and make sure Luffy was not messing about with the ship's course again. Zoro could tell that this was an order taken directly from the captain. He had become a stickler over the years about eating onshore whenever he possibly could. It was not that Sanji's cooking had been decreasing in quality, but Luffy wanted to try as many localized dishes as humanly possible.

_Twenty years and I can barely find a bit of change on this ship_, Zoro laughed internally while he scratched the short beard stubble on his chin. _Years... that reminds me of Yume. It has been so many years since she has died_. He reached inside his pocket and drew out a golden chain that had a simple band of the same precious metal strung onto it. Quietly, he clenched it in his fist as his thoughts raced. _Seventeen? Eighteen? Nineteen? I cannot remember clearly when she died anymore. I do remember her clearly though. The mainland reminds me of her. Every time we anchor in a mainland port... I remember Yume. How I wish she were still alive. If only my Dream were still alive..._

_**Eighteen years earlier**_

Zoro glared around the tavern with the utmost suspicion. They were in Logue Town and in the middle of stocking up on supplies and provisions when they had decided to all stop for some food. Zoro did not trust Logue Town one bit. Maybe it was the fact the Marine Headquarters was still there, though Captain Smoker and Tashigi were still out on the Grand Line searching for them _or _it was the embarrassing memory of Baroque Works sieging them at Whiskey Peak _or _even the fact that Luffy's bounty was raised again _or _that he now had a hefty bounty on his head as well _or _possibly that they had just acquired Nico Robin and her seventy-nine million berry bounty as a crew member. No matter what the reason, it was still apparent that Zoro was skittish.

_Hmm..._ he thought as he examined the other tavern patrons. _There's a family over there, the three cloaked travelers that just walked in, two men over at the bar... none of them seem to be too threatening. Now if only my nakama..._

"Come on Zoro! Have a bit of fun why don't ya?" Usopp asked, swaying slightly into the swordsman. He was one of the first to start drinking and the rest of the crew made the enlightening and humorous discovery that he did not hold a single drop over three mugs of grog very well.

"Usopp, you're making a fool of yourself," the green-haired swordsman sneered acidly. Usopp just blinked heavily and returned to the grog. Zoro stood up in a flustered manner and headed towards the door.

"Zoro, where do you think you're going?" Nami called out, halting the man in his tracks.

"Out and away from you guys."

"You're gonna get lost..."

"No I'm not!" Zoro snapped back. He barged out the door to the tavern in a huff.

"Robin, how about if we go and charge him a fee later when we hunt him down?" Nami asked, chuckling into her own mug.

"That would be fun Navigator-san," Robin replied, shifting slightly in her seat in order to move herself a bit more further from the tornado of flying food that was Luffy.

Now, little did the Mugiwara Kaizokudan know it, but every move they made was being monitored by the three cloaked travelers at the bar Zoro had noticed before. The middle traveler placed an empty mug down and stood up.

"That's our target," a raspy voice quietly announced to the other two.

"The man who just walked out?"

"Yes. Roronoa Zoro. Famed pirate hunter extraordinaire. You two going to follow?"

The still seated men shook their heads and refused.

"It's not worth our lives. We got half the payment already just for taking on the mission. Let's just say that we couldn't find him..." one said, but was cut off by his standing nakama.

"You fool. We need to at least try to kill him, or we are done for," the raspy voice said again. "I'm going it alone then. Come get me if there's any trouble."

"Got it," the two others said. They watched with concern as their third walked out into the night street. Hopefully, the mission could be carried out and they could retrieve the rest of the payment for killing him, as well as a bit of bounty from the government on top of it.

Hopefully was the key word though.

**80808080808080808**

Not sure anymore about how long he had been wandering, Zoro looked up at the sky and tried to find the North Star. He remembered Nami telling him and Luffy that the North Star could help them navigate when they were lost. Unable to find even one star in the overcast night, he cursed silently to himself.

_Damn it! Stupid stars. Now I'm going to have to just wander around until I find the wharf. Stupid wharf. _He turned onto a street, wondering why things just could not be labeled as being left and right, forwards or backwards... not all this north, south, east, west crap. Things would be so much easier if everything just happened that way.

Suddenly, Zoro heard the sound of light footsteps. _Nami_, was his immediate response, knowing that she could have been the only one sober enough to find him for profit. Shaking his head, he continued forward. Then the footsteps began to become quicker, jumping onto a nearby building in order to get in front of him. Zoro stopped walking and clutched the hilt of his cursed sword, ready to attack.

"Finally I have found you Roronoa Zoro!" a raspy voice yelled. A figure dropped from a rooftop to the street, chuckling menacingly.

"An assassin?" Zoro questioned.

"That's right! I have been paid to kill you. Now draw your swords!" the cloaked stranger yelled. Zoro just turned around and began walking away.

"Loser," he muttered. He did not have time to deal with an assassin. They were too cocky and not worth the kill. At least that he knew from experience.

"Don't turn your back on me!" cried the assassin. Zoro spun around as he heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed. He was just barely able to react in time to block the weapon aimed at his throat.

"You must be serious," he chuckled. Zoro forced the attacker away and drew his other two swords. "_Onigiri_!"

Zoro charged full-force at the assassin, certain that he would strike him down. Instead, the assassin jumped up into the air, timed perfectly so that the attack missed completely. Landing behind Zoro, with a couple seconds and some fancy footwork, the green-haired man's right arm was gushing blood and he was struggling to fend off his attacker.

_I haven't faced anyone like this since Mihawk_, Zoro panicked. As the fight continued, it became more and more apparent that he was starting to lose. The assassin began to fight with not only the sword, but would throw in a few kicks and punches in for good measure. _Mr. 1 was difficult, but he had Devil Fruit power that turned his body into a big blade. This guy is going on pure talent alone. I can tell. He's like a creature built with Sanji's kicks, Luffy's sheer power, my swords skills..._

_CHING _went the horrific sound of Zoro's two swords as the assassin forced them from his hands. They stuck themselves into a water barrel nearby, sending the liquid out into the street.

_Damn Mihawk_, Zoro thought, bringing the white Wado sword down from his mouth and into his hands. _Looks like I won't be able to fight you for the title after all._ He tried to parry the assassin's attack, what felt like a _final _attack, but his precious sword was knocked from his hands due to the sheer velocity of the blow.

Red filled his vision as Zoro fell and his head smashed into the wet cobblestone-brick street below. He gazed up and saw the assassin walk calmly over to him, sword clutched in hand. He could feel the weight of the cloaked figure's knees pinning his shoulders to the ground so that he would not move as the sword blade caressed his soft throat. A wan glimmer of light from a far-off and unknown source was able to just barely illuminate the assassin's face. A regretful expression filled ruby eyes.

_Now's my chance._ Zoro shifted his body weight and knocked the assassin off. It was a risky move, but it worked. The cloaked assassin lost grip of the sword as it slid across the slick ground to Zoro, who was able to pick it up and in what seemed like an instant, place the assassin in the exact same position he was in before.

"Any last words?" he spat cruelly. Zoro was in no mood for niceties at this point. The man was going to die anyways. Might as well enjoy it.

"What do you live for Roronoa Zoro?"

"Huh? What kind of a question is that?"

"What do you live for?" the assassin asked. The voice was no longer raspy, but smooth and feminine. Zoro moved backwards, keeping the sword to his enemy's throat. The assassin sat up and removed the cloak hood, forcing a gasp out of the green-haired swordsman.

He had been fighting a woman.

Her hair was black and sleek, just like Kuina's had been, though it fell to just above her shoulders. Her pale skin made her haunting ruby eyes seem like crystals in the night light. Her build was better than average for the life of a sword-for-hire, being sturdy enough to not frailly break under pressure.

"What do I live for?" he whispered, embarrassed now that he was virtually sitting in this woman's lap. "A promise made long ago."

"At least it is a noble life. You can kill me now."

"I'm not going to kill you," Zoro said, dropping the sword and standing up. He turned to retrieve his lost swords and heard the sound of soft sobbing.

"A swordsman is supposed to die in battle," she sniffled. Zoro just rolled his eyes and turned around angrily once he sheathed his swords.

"Be happy that you are still alive!" he growled. "I doubt many will live after facing me in battle, for I am going to become the world's greatest swordsman!"

The woman assassin just sat there and looked morosely at Zoro, making him cringe. He sneered and began to walk away when he heard the sound of two rushed pairs of feet coming down the street.

"Yume-san!" a voice called out. Zoro saw that it was the other two cloaked travelers from the bar, running towards them at top speed. Their hoods were down and he could see that one was taller and had sandy-white hair, tanned skin and crystalline eyes while she shorter had green eyes, fiery hair and a massive amount of freckles.

"Minna!" the woman assassin replied tearfully. The two men rushed over to her and helped her stand.

"Get your sword! The Marines are coming!" said the taller. The woman assassin quickly grabbed her sword and placed it in the scabbard.

"We shall meet again soon Roronoa Zoro!" she announced proudly, trying to mask her defeat. On a dime, she turned and began to run away.

"Tch," spat Zoro. He kept on walking in the direction he was originally headed in, only to find that the prediction of the woman assassin's comrades were indeed true. A small unit of military officers were running through the street, responding to a tip that a sword fight was taking place in the street.

"Halt!" the officer yelled. "You are under arrest!"

"Ah shit!" Zoro cursed, turning around and running as fast as he could the other way. He went down a few bends and turns until he was able to find the _Merry Go_, just getting ready to set sail.

"**HEY**!" Zoro yelled angrily as he ran towards the boat. "**WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU ARE DOING LEAVING PORT WITHOUT ME!**"

"Zoro?" everyone on the ship seemed to say at once, poking their heads overboard to catch a glance at their first mate.

"Hi there Zoro!" Luffy called out, waving his arm wildly from his special seat. "I thought you were here on the ship!"

"**I'M NOT ON THE SHIP, YOU IDIOT!**"

"I can see that now!"

"Hurry up Zoro! The Marines are after us!" Nami ordered. The green-haired man leaped from the pier straight to the deck of the ship, barely allowing the ship to go three feet without him.

"Come back here and fight pirate scum!" one of the officers yelled, having gotten to the pier only to be able to stand there helplessly. Zoro just looked over at Luffy and nearly fell down as he saw his captain make a very rude hand gesture.

"Just try to catch us!" he giggled, his words slightly slurred from all of the drinking he had done at the tavern. Zoro leaned up against the rail and sighed as he watched the faint lights of Logue Town fade away into the distance.

"Where were you Marimo?" Sanji snickered, taking Zoro by surprise.

"Playing with death," he muttered, fingering the scab that had now formed over the wound on his arm. It was not a deep wound; definitely not something Chopper had to worry about.

"Death is a tempting mistress," the cook continued, the alcohol on his breath spoiling the air. Zoro knew where this was going; another spiel about how he had to survive all that time without food as a kid, blah, blah, blah. He was sick of it. As soon as Sanji was able to rest his arms on the ship's rail, Zoro took off for below deck and his hammock. He knew he looked horrible, all wet and bloody, but he did not care. All he wanted now was some sleep so that the memory of the recent attempt on his life could meld into the remnants of the other assassins that had come after him throughout the years.

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**Author's Notes**

Flashbacks: Yes, the first section was in the Mugiwara Pirates' future, but where it was left off is still in the past. Think of Homer and his conventions. A good chunk of the story from this point on will be flashbacks, just as a warning.

The Woman Assassin: Hey, I'm trying real hard to not turn it into a Mary Sue fiction. Just hear me out for a while, please? Things will get a lot un-Mary Sue soon. Honest. It will become better!

"Minna": 'Tis the Japanese expletive meaning "everyone" or "guys". I'm almost positive this is going to be one of only a few words used throughout the fiction by the character that's in Japanese.

Time Period: The flashbacks are set, unfortunately, in the space just before the Skypeia Saga, but after Nico joined. This does not mean that I do not plan on completely leaving the happening of after to go to waste. All I need to do is some more "research".

Next Update: Soon. When I feel like it. Reviews might make me update quicker however. -winks-

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Edits: Fixed the division lines, Robin's name and changed "Rogue Town" to "Logue Town" 


	2. Encounter

Many, many thanks go out to my first and only reviewer as of late, zenfry! You are a good example of nakama, yes, yes. -nodnodnod- I am very nervous about this chapter and really need reviews to tell how I am going! Nice words are cool, but seriously inform me of your opinion! I do not currently own, nor will most like **ever **own, _One Piece_.

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**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Encounter_

Three months had passed since Zoro's encounter with the woman assassin in Logue Town and things had quickly returned back to normal. The wound on Zoro's arm had healed in record time and he was back to his strenuous training ritual, despite a less-than-severe scolding from Chopper. Sanji would not stop teasing him about making it back so late, claiming he had found another Marine woman to make Tashigi jealous. Of course, every time this was brought up, another chef-swordsman battle had to commence and those usually ended with a communal skull-bashing, courtesy of Nami. It was not until they had come to an uninhabited island did things begin to seriously change.

"Sanji-kun, do you have the picnic?" Nami called out as she hopped off the ship to the life raft the Mugiwara Kaizokudan were taking to the island.

"Hai Nami-swan!" the love-struck blond answered, lowering down a large basket of food to the redheaded navigator. Zoro sighed as he came up behind Sanji and kicked him over the edge and into the water.

"Stupid ero-cook," he muttered. Zoro hopped down into the boat as Sanji crawled in.

"Ignorant marimo!" Sanji sputtered, flustered that his new suit was now sopping wet.

"Sex-driven blondie."

"Boys, behave, please," Nami sighed angrily. Robin chuckled slightly as Sanji and Zoro released each other throats. This was not shaping up to be a pleasant outing.

"Hey Chopper! Are you, Luffy and Usopp coming?" Zoro called up. The small reindeer poked his head over the side of the ship.

"Luffy's already at shore!"

"How'd he manage that?"

"He stretched there."

"Figures." Zoro sat down at the oars grumpily as Chopper and Usopp slowly descended via a rope ladder. Once his fellow crew members were on board, he began rowing towards the sandy shoal near the island's beach. It was not long before they landed and thus broke up into two groups in order to begin searching vainly for their captain.

"Why does he have to go and do this to us?" Nami grumbled as she, Sanji and Zoro began searching the island brush. "He knows that we have food!"

"Don't you worry about it my lovely," Sanji swooned. "We'll find that ungrateful moron in no time."

"I'm telling him you said that." Zoro muttered under his breath. Sanji luckily did not hear and continued to ogle the irritated navigator.

"Nami? Is that you?" Luffy's voice called out. Nami, Sanji and Zoro rushed over towards the sound of Luffy's voice. They found their captain on the beach near a wrecked dinghy. He was wide-eyed and seemingly distraught.

"What's the matter Luffy?" Zoro asked.

"Do you have Chopper with you?"

"Why?" Nami asked. Luffy just wordlessly grabbed her hand and led her over to the ruined dinghy. "Sanji! Zoro! Find Chopper, quick!" she gasped.

"What's the matter Nami-san?" Sanji asked.

"Luffy found some people! Hurry!"

"Come on you stupid marimo!" Sanji ordered, turning on his heels and running in the opposite direction.

"Wait up shit-cook!"

It took the two very little time to hunt down the rest of the crew and direct them towards where Nami and Luffy sat in wait. Robin got their life boat and after taking Sanji, Luffy and Usopp back to the ship, grounded it right up next to the ruined one. Zoro was completely disinterested this entire time, preferring to just stand back while the girls attempted to lift the unconscious people into their dinghy.

"Zoro, help us, will you?" Nami griped.

"Yes, it would be much appreciated Swordsman-san," Robin put in. Zoro looked over at the women in disgust.

"Do I have to when you two could have forced the others to? What if they're already dead?"

"They aren't!" Chopper exclaimed from inside the wreckage. "They are all just barely alive. If we don't help them, they'll die!"

"Fine," the swordsman grumbled. He stomped over to the boat and froze when he saw who was inside. It was the woman assassin from a few months earlier, along with the two men she was with. Their faces were blanch and gaunt from lack of hydration, their clothes tattered and bodies thin. It reminded him of seeing the war-torn citizens of Alabasta in the hardest-hit regions.

"I think they must have just barely survived a storm," Robin said as she gingerly lifted the freckled man's shoulders with her Hana-Hana-no-Mi to haul him into the rescue dinghy. She carefully took the side satchel he carried and placed it next to him in the boat as well, not sure about if what was inside was important or not.

"That's all I can think of," Nami agreed, helping Robin's load. Zoro bent down silently and picked up the raven-haired woman. He placed her gently in the life boat as Nami and Robin struggled to lift the second man into the small vessel.

"No fair. You took the light one," Nami scowled. Zoro glared as he got into the boat and began to row towards the _Merry Go _in silence. All the while, he would take small glances over at the woman assassin, making sure that she was still there. After much complaining from Nami about the lackluster speed of the dinghy, they were able to reach the side of the ship and hoist the life boat up to the side. There, they literally dumped the two men out on the deck and Usopp did the unthinkable... he threw a bucket of water on them.

"Usopp! You idiot!" Zoro yelled as he picked the woman up from the boat. "That could be the last thing they need!"

"It should wake them up! I know it wakes me up, that's for sure!" the sniper said. Zoro was about ready to kill Usopp when the two men sputtered awake.

"They're fine!" Chopper cheered excitedly.

"What the...?" the bronze-skinned man coughed out. He placed his palm on his forehead in pain and muttered in a clear Briton speech pattern. "Hey Maon, you dead yet?"

"Uuugh..." the redheaded man moaned lazily. "Let me sleep a few more minutes Gormal." His voice possessed the nearly same accent as the man next to him, though he was more guttural and rolled his "R"s more.

"I don't think we should be sleeping anymore," Gormal said, looking up and seeing the Mugiwara Kaizokudan staring at him and his crew mate. Maon sat up and looked around frantically.

"Where's Yume-san?" he asked. "She's deathly ill!"

"You mean her?" Nami asked, motioning towards Zoro, who still held the unconscious woman in his arms. Zoro's face went bright red as the two soaked men stared at him, horrified that he was carrying their friend.

"Yes!" Gormal said, standing up quickly and rushing over to the woman in Zoro's arms like a concerned brother. "This is our captain, Yume! She came down ill about a week ago. She wouldn't sleep or eat and gained a terrible cough. We were sailing over to the nearest island to bring her to a doctor when a storm tossed us about and threw us off course."

"That's the last thing I remember," Maon squeaked as he shakily stood up. He stared uncomfortably at Zoro, remembering who he was clearly in his mind. He knew Gormal remembered too, but his taller counterpart seemed to not care too much. Playing on the doorstep of the unknown, Gormal simply wanted safety for their sick captain even if it meant staring down an old target.

"The last thing I remember as well," Gormal whispered as he looked at Yume's calm face. "Can you lot please help us?" He looked up at Zoro pleadingly, making him take a small step back.

"Sure thing!" Chopper said. "As long as it's okay with Luffy!"

"We can't just leave them here," Luffy said in a rare thoughtful moment. "Take care of them Chopper."

"Sure thing Luffy!" the little reindeer happily sang. "Follow me!" He walked over to the door that would lead him below deck to the room where he kept all the medicine. Maon and Gormal watched Zoro walk closely behind the talking reindeer and after a few seconds, decided it was safe.

"Thank you Luffy-san," Maon said, bowing slightly as he and Gormal passed Luffy on their way below deck.

"Don't mention it!" he laughed. The two men then quickly caught up to Zoro and Chopper as they entered the sick ward.

"Put the girl down over here," Chopper ordered, pointing a hoof towards a bed. The green-haired swordsman gently placed Yume down on the bed and stepped back, allowing Maon and Gormal to step to the bedside. The three were nakama after all.

"Zoro, do you want to help?" Chopper asked.

"No, I'll go now," Zoro said, backing towards the door. He wanted to leave as fast as he could, but felt like he could not leave the side of the woman who nearly killed him. It took about a minute, but Zoro was able to exit the room wordlessly.

"Hey Zoro, is she going to be okay?" Nami asked as he went back up onto the ship's deck again. "I need to know how much money I am going to expect in payment for rescuing them.

"I don't know," he grunted. "That's for Chopper to decide, greedy witch." He walked over to where he had put his weights-on-a-stick and prepared himself for some more endurance training.

As if he cared about some damn woman anyways.

**80808080808080808**

A week passed with no positive signs coming from Yume in the sick ward. She was still breathing, but barely. Chopper was able to give her some vitamins to help her body recover from lack of food, but other than that, his medicine seemed to have little effect on her. Maon and Gormal took turns sitting by her bedside, making sure that she was never alone. When one was taking their turn watching over their captain, the other was usually found in the galley eating large amounts of food, with Maon even challenging Luffy's monstrous intake, or relating tales of their exploits.

Zoro sat around for some of the tales, but they all turned out to be the same. These three pirates were little more than bounty hunters, a profession that he knew all too much about. They were some of the guys who took out the smaller bounties, nothing over a few million berries. Well, the men, apparently, rarely did any fighting. It was Yume who did that. Their stories made her sound almost like a monster that was merciless in battle, though the tales did indirectly explain to Zoro her deep sense of bushido. One thing neither Maon nor Gormal mentioned however, was that they tried to kill Zoro at one point. They seemed to like keeping that under wraps. Zoro did not mind that too much though. He rather preferred the rest of the crew to not know of how he was nearly killed by a woman. Things were just better that way. He did not want any more blackmail material to get into the cook's hands, that was for sure.

One day, though, Zoro was wandering the inner hold of the _Merry Go_ when he happened to come across the sick ward. He looked inside to see both Gormal and Maon sitting next to their captain's bedside, speaking softly to each other. They looked considerably healthier than when they had first come aboard, though fatigue seemed apparent. Gormal was dressed in a white shirt, black pants, brown knee-high boots and a red cloth sash around his waist, making him the very vision of a pirate stereotype. Maon's clothes were all brown and tan, giving the impression of a trapper with his worn leather satchel and boots. The men did not notice that Zoro had not entered the room until the green-haired man spoke.

"How much sleep have you two gotten?" Zoro asked, casually leaning against the wall just inside the door.

"Not much," Gormal bitterly replied, putting a stop to his conversation. "Why?"

"Both of you look beat."

"We're worried, that's all. If this was your captain, you would be worried too," Maon said. The comment hit Zoro hard, remembering how the entire crew was so frightened when Nami fell ill, all of the Mugiwara crew slept in the sick ward every night until they got to Drum Island.

"I know how it feels," he said, walking over towards the bedside. He pulled up a chair and sat down resting his arms on the back. "You know, I'll watch her for you if you want to get some rest."

"No," Gormal said, shaking his head wearily. "The two of you tried to kill each other before. Why should we trust you?"

"…because I was really pissed off that night, but ended up letting her go. It would be wrong of me to kill her in this state. I'm not going to stoop so low as to attack a sick woman."

"Where would we go sleep if we accepted your offer?"

"The men's quarters. There's a couch in there, as well as my hammock. I'm just thinking that if you guys keep this ritual up, Your captain might not have any crew to wake up to."

Maon and Gormal sat in thought for a moment. Leave their captain and dear nakama in the hands of a former target or possibly die of exhaustion? Gormal briskly stood up, fists clenched and decision made.

"Gormal…" Maon gasped. "You really trust this bloke?" He stood and brotherly touched his crewmate's elbow, only to be shoved off.

"No, but we have no choice," Gormal sputtered, choking back tears. He kept his back straight and eyes focused at the ground, showing how difficult the words were. "The decision is not easy, but what would Yume do if she woke up and found out we have been neglecting ourselves in order to watch over her? She'd bloody kill us."

"Somehow, I knew that you guys would see it my way," Zoro smirked as the two men walked over to the door.

"If she is harmed in any way upon our return… it will be your head," Gormal sneered as he stood in the doorway, angrily glaring into the hall. Maon glanced nervously from Gormal to Zoro, who was seemingly staring at the wall.

"You can even have your pick of which head I get to go without," the green-haired man chuckled.

"There are few who would place that much on the line," Gormal said, a wan smile crossing his lips. He walked briskly out of the room, Maon following close behind.

Thus Zoro sat there in thought, which proved to be more laborious of a task than he originally expected. He kept his eyes fixated on the wall, not wanting his vision to stray to any unwanted subjects.

_Stupid Luffy's orders. I don't want to watch over this woman! Why did we have to find them of all people in the first place? _he wondered. _These bounty hunters wanted me dead. Who knows if they are still after me, or have even moved on to my nakama?_

His eyelids began drooping.

_These people are dangerous, but still in our debt._

He rested his chin on his folded arms.

_They're still the enemy. We still need to be on high alert._

With a soft moan, Zoro nestled his face deep into the crook of his left arm and fell fast asleep. He had not even been asleep for two minutes when the other occupant of the room woke up with a soft gasp. Sitting up straight, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and tried to calm her now-heavy breathing. Bright sea-foam green hair caught her vision as she glanced around the cabin. There was only one person in the world she knew to have that kind of hair.

What kind of hell did she wake up in?

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**Author's Notes**

Maon and Gormal: pronounced MOON and GAU rum ul. Their names mean "hero" and "deep-blue eye". They have more purpose than just being there.

Yume: Yup, her name means "dream" in Japanese. This is going to be important later on.

Next Update: Place your reviews down and you'll get that new chapter! I might not update on just one!

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Edits: division lines, "Logue Town", Robin's name


	3. Artifice

You people suck. No reviewing..? For shame! Only my buddies zenfry-kun and sanji-luver-chan deserve the cyber cookies. -nodnod- With the way things are looking, I have a pretty good start to the story and am going to continue it for quite a long time. I just had revamping ideas for the later chapters. -grins- Ku, ku, ku... I do not own the rights _One Piece _or even any legal copies of the lusciously awesome manga for I am not Eiichiro Oda or my little brother.

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**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Artifice_

Yume sat in bed completely flabbergasted. She could last remember retching over the side of her dinghy, Gormal and Maon panicking over her health. Now she was in an unfamiliar soft bed, feeling much healthier than she had been in weeks, wearing someone else's pajamas and had no visual, or verbal, confirmation of her friends being anywhere.

It was just her, the comfortable bed and the sleeping green-haired pirate hunter sitting on a chair to her left.

_I need to get out of here!_ she thought, absolutely horrified. _I just need to get to my crew and plan out what we do from here. How dare they leave me alone with him! Now if only I can just sneak out without waking him up..._

"Where do you think you are going?" Zoro asked, not even picking up his head or letting Yume's feet touch the floor. The startled woman recoiled back under the blanket, barely poking outwards to glance at her keeper.

"How...?"

"My captain found you and your crew on an island," Zoro stated plainly, lifting his gaze to match Yume's. "All three of you would be dead if it were not for us."

"Where is Maon-kun and Gormal-kun?" she demanded, throwing down the blanket to her lap. "I want to know where my crew is!"

"They're fine. Just resting," Zoro scoffed, rolling his eyes out of boredom. "They were so worn out from watching over you that I was ordered to relieve them so that they could get some sleep. They looked like total wrecks."

"Oh," Yume said, directing her gaze at the patchwork blanket. She snapped her eyes back at Zoro again. "Why are you the one watching over me?"

"Captain's orders. Do you think I want to be here?"

"Well, I'm awake and you can go now."

"Nope, not until Chopper relieves me."

"Captain's orders?"

"Yeah."

There was an eerie silence that followed the conversation. Neither Zoro nor Yume wanted to be the first to speak. They both ended up staring at opposite walls, thinking about what to say. Finally, Yume let out a slight cough and then spoke up.

"Were you the one who rescued me?"

"Why would you think that?" Zoro asked. "I told you, my captain is the one who found you and your crew. I am only here to follow orders."

"You don't seem like the kind of person who'd follow orders."

"Trust me, you get used to it after a while."

"Oh."

The room was silent again as Yume and Zoro both thought up of new conversation topics, topics that was hopefully less awkward for them both.

"What are you going to do to us once I am all better?" Yume asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I've never been on another pirate captain's ship before. I have no clue what the customs are."

"Then I guess you are going to find out then, huh?" Zoro smirked.

"I guess I will," Yume said after taking a deep breath. She threw off the blanket and quickly stood up. The sudden rush of blood to her head caused her to lose balance and fall. Zoro, thinking nothing of it, stuck out his arm and caught her around the mid-section.

"That was stupid," he muttered as she came to land on his knee.

"Get your hands off of me," Yume sputtered, shoving Zoro away. She stood up again and this time, chose to balance herself against the wall. "I just got up too quickly, that's all."

"Sure. Whatever."

"Knock, knock!" squeaked Chopper as he descended the stairs down to the sick ward. He peeked his head into the room with a bright smile. "Is our patient awake yet Zoro?"

"Yup. Look for yourself." The green-haired swordsman pointed towards Yume as she stared wide-eyed at the ship's doctor.

"Oh! You should not be out of bed yet!" Chopper exclaimed, placing down his tray of food and rushing over to Yume.

"What... are you?" she asked with a whisper.

"She thinks I'm a monster Zoro!" the poor little reindeer cried into a reluctant Zoro's arm.

"No, no, not like that!" Yume panicked, taking her weight off the wall and stepping over to Zoro and Chopper. She began to wobble again and fell with a squeak onto the bed.

"...and you call yourself a pirate captain," Zoro sighed. "Oi, Chopper, I'm leaving."

"What? Zoro!" Chopper cried. "Please don't leave me alone!"

"Hey, you're the doctor. Do... you know... doctor stuff."

"...but..."

It was too late. Zoro had left the room, leaving the blue-nosed reindeer and woman alone.

"So, you are the doctor of this ship?" Yume said. Chopper reacted by jumping.

"Yeah, do you want to make something out of it?" he trembled in defense.

"No. I just..."

"It's my nose, isn't it!"

Yume sat there bewildered. "Why would it be your nose? I have just never met a talking reindeer before."

"So you think I'm a freak," Chopper cried.

"No... I actually think you're a bit cute," Yume giggled. Chopper stared at her with confusion.

"You don't hate me?"

"No. Why would I hate you if you are the one who has treated me?"

Chopper looked up at the woman sitting down on the bed. She had a kind smile on her face, much like the smiles Vivi, Robin and Nami gave him.

"You mean it?"

"Of course. Besides, I am a guest on this ship. It would be rude to be ungrateful."

The reindeer smiled and hopped up onto the chair Zoro had been sitting on. "My name is Tony Tony Chopper."

"My name is Yume."

"Welcome to the _Merry Go _Yume!" Chopper exclaimed happily. Yume sweatdropped a little at the reindeer's newfound enthusiasm, but took it as a good sign. She watched carefully as Chopper went and retrieved the plate of food to put next to her, which turned out to be some carrots and tangerines, and then went over to a chest of drawers and began rummaging around in an attempt to locate some things.

"Do you need help finding something?" Yume asked as she noticed the rather short Chopper struggling to reach the top three drawers.

"No thanks, you just eat," Chopper smiled.

"As long as you're fine..."

Then, right in front of Yume, Chopper transformed into his human mode and began searching the top drawers with the help of his height. Yume looked at the reindeer with wide eyes, startled at how incredibly huge he had become.

_I wasn't expecting that_, she thought. Her eye twitched slightly as Chopper found what he was looking for.

"Here you are," he said with the same soft, squeaky voice he had as he had before he changed. He placed a set of clothes on the bed next to the plate of food and quickly transformed back to normal. "These are your clothes for now. Your old ones were beat up pretty bad and we had to throw them away."

"T-Thank you," Yume said, trying to keep a smile on her face. "Please t-tell me Tony-kun... did you eat a Devil Fruit?"

"Yes, I did," Chopper said, watching Yume become almost instantly relaxed. "Why? Did I take you by surprise?"

"A little."

"I'm sorry. I thought you would have known. Please hurry up and eat as much of this food as you can. Then get dressed as come up to the deck. Luffy has been wanting to talk to you for ages."

"Luffy?" Yume asked, cocking her head to the side. "You can't possibly mean Mugiwara Luffy..."

"Of course I do!"

"Wha! You mean this is Monkey D. Luffy's ship!" Yume sputtered, looking all around like a frightened rabbit. "The man has a bounty of a hundred million berri!"

"Well Zoro has a bounty now of sixty million," Chopper said frankly, "and the way things are going, I might be the only one after a while without a bounty!"

"Tell me, what is your captain like?" Yume asked.

"Well, he's not what you would expect from a guy who has gained a huge bounty so quickly."

"Really?"

"Yup! Now hurry up! I'll leave you be." Chopper said before scuttling off to the staircase and going back up to the deck. Yume looked down at the clothes and food warily, her face hardening into a scowl.

_So, I'm in the hands of Mugiwara_, she thought grimly. She felt the back of her neck, checking for the chain of her necklace. _Good. Still there. How peculiar though. Just a while back I was going after his crewmate. This should serve to become intriguing. Hopefully Maon and Gormal weren't being idiots and got information on their weaknesses. I am not going to let a pay day this large get away, even if they did save me. _She ate a handful of tangerine slices and got up to change into her new clothes. It was amusing to pull on the set of men's clothes. Either there were no females on the ship before she came along or their clothes were not about to be given up. Anyways, the clothes were comfortable. A white polo shirt with red trimming the collar and sleeves, black and red plaid pants and simple black shoes. There was a pair of black sweat bands set on the chest of drawers that she took and placed on her wrists. Yume looked around and found her sword. It felt good to sling it over her shoulders and have weight resting on her back again. Quietly, she scaled the staircase and stepped out into the salty sea air.

"There you are!" said a cheery voice. Yume's muscles tensed for battle as she looked around the deck. She jumped though as someone came up from behind and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Kya!" she yelped. Turning around, she could see that it was only Luffy, standing there with a large grin and his straw hat, just like in the wanted posters.

"Glad to see that you are up Yume!" Luffy said with a smile. "Join my crew please!"

"What...?" Yume asked, a bit taken aback.

"Please join my crew! Your nakama told us how strong you are! You must be chasing a dream! Why don't you, Maon and Gormal join up?"

"My crew have their own minds that they can make up themselves," Yume said, putting a fake smile on her face. "Why? Have you even asked them?"

"Yeah, but they said that they wouldn't join unless you join too," Luffy said, bringing his arms akimbo and nodding his head. "They're really loyal. You should be lucky your nakama refuse to leave you."

"The refuse to leave me, huh?" Yume chuckled. She paused for a moment, analyzing the situation.

_Maon-kun and Gormal-kun have agreed to join the Mugiwara Kaizokudan? They think just as fast as I do. Well, Gormal-kun must have come up with it. Maon-kun just does not fare well in these kinds of situations by his lonesome, the poor bloke. What kind of specialities are they bringing to the table for the Mugiwaras? Crap. I don't even know what they told these people about me, or if there are any more members than the reindeer and Roronoa Zoro. Wait, I recall a rumor that the big bounty Nico Robin possibly joined up with them, but I'm not too sure. Why didn't I notice a few months ago...?_

"Yume?" Luffy asked, snapping the young woman from her trance-like state. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, nothing," the raven-haired girl smiled. "I just decided that we'll join your crew."

"That's great!" Luffy cried, giving Yume a big bear hug. "Now we've got a musician and a deck hand and a swordswoman!"

"Wha...?" Yume asked, eyes growing wide in disbelief. She was given no more time to talk as Luffy grabbed her hand and led her down the hall to what appeared to be the galley. There was the rest of the Mugiwara crew, plus the very sleepy pair of Gormal and Maon.

"It's official! We have three new crew members!" Luffy cheered happily, not masking his gleeful laugh. "Yume, this is Zoro and Sanji and Nami and Robin and you've met Chopper and me, so now we all know each other!"

"Thank you, _captain_," Yume said, grinning as to not arouse suspicion. She looked over at her nakama, seeing the all-too-familiar glint in their eyes that signaled they knew what she was doing. All three knew the Mugiwara Kaizokudan were going down. Now, it was simply a matter of when and where.

"You look so lovely Yume-chan in my clothes," Sanji swooned happily, coming over to the new girl with enthusiasm. He was half way when Nami hit him on the head, scolding him for being so straightforward so quickly.

"I think that we should celebrate!" Maon announced abruptly, standing up so that everyone took notice of him. "Now where'd I put my whistle?" He searched all throughout his bag and pulled out a beaten tin whistle. He put the instrument to his lips and began playing a lively tune. The beat caught quickly and soon, Usopp and Luffy were caught up in the beat and bouncing around the galley, trying to force the others to join in. Gormal went up to Yume and pretended to take her hand for a dance.

"You know what Maon and I have planned, right?" he asked quickly, whispering in his captain's ear.

"Of course I do. Jeannette-san wants him dead. We were already paid handsomely for it might I add."

"I know. None of them have the slightest inclination as to our plan."

"Even Roronoa? Our target might not trust us..."

"He doesn't trust Nico Robin either," Gormal grinned. He brought himself a distance away from Yume as to dance around the room a bit more freely, but pulled her close once he had to avoid a collision with a heart-eyed Sanji as the ero-cook tried to convince Nami to allow him a dance.

"We're sure to get all of them," Yume whispered as Gormal held her like a lover would.

"Of course, and with your cousin's amnesty, we're gonna get off scot-free."

"Perfect." Yume smiled joyfully as she pulled herself from her nakama's arms. "Everything's perfect!"

"That's the spirit!" Chopper giggled. He looked up and smiled at Yume affectionately, seeing in her the kind person he was falsely led to believe she was. Yume politely smiled back and patted Chopper on the head. She saw Zoro staring at her icily out of the corner of her eye. It was mistrust and suspicion, she could feel it.

"Yume-san!" Maon called out, halting his merry melody. "Come over here and dance for us! I have just the perfect song!"

"Maon-kun, I couldn't," Yume blushed falsely.

"You dance?" Sanji asked, his eye still in the pink hearted shape from earlier. "Oh, it would be just lovely to see you dance Yume-chan!" He swooned as Yume gave him a suave smile and twirled over to the open space in the galley. From there, she began dancing gracefully to a set of melancholy chords Maon strung together. Everyone cheered for her except Gormal and Zoro. The two silent men glared at one another out of suspicion and discontent. It was, unbeknownst to them, the start of a rather trying relationship that would cause problems for the crew.

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**Author's Notes**

Eh, this time, I think I'll write an ickle paragraph instead of that bloody list. So, intriguing, no? Hopefully, things are going about with some... normalcy. Then again, this is a _One Piece _fanfiction for crying out loud. There is little as far as normalcy is concerned. Anyways, I leaked a bit about the past! Huzzah! We are soon going to get into more character development of both crews and the certain bonds between the two groups. Still, Chapter Four is coming! I'm getting on it! Please leave reviews for guaranteed faster updates! -scuttles off-

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Edits: dividing lines, Robin's name, a couple of words... somewhere... 


	4. Rivalry

Yayness! Special thanks go out to my reviewers **zenfry**-kun, **Gothy Wolfie**-san, **White Butterfly**-san and **sanji-luver**-chan, who took the warning to heart. You made this ickle otaku happy with nice words and sly guesses about future plot. Sad to say, but I only threaten because reviews are my life's reward. I do not in any way own _One Piece_.

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**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Rivalry_

No one was sure how long it had been since the arrival of the new crewmen, but in all actuality, it had been nine days before the first major problem arose. Gormal was sitting lazily in the crow's nest, looking towards the horizon. Life on the _Merry Go _had become fairly boring as the job of deck hand mainly consisted of sitting in the crow's nest and watching out for other ships. Neither a ship nor land had been seen in days and the rest of the crew was becoming rather restless.

"You're a complete idiot, you know that, right?" Gormal heard Yume scream. He peered over the side of the crow's nest to see his captain and the Mugiwara first mate engaged in a heated argument.

"You ignorant man! How dare you think that you can become the greatest swordsman in the world!" Yume yelled. "I have just as much chance as you do when it comes to beating Hawkeye!" She shoved some of her raven hair behind her ear in frustration. Since first joining the crew, the _Merry Go_ had stopped in a port and Yume bought herself some clothes to replace the ones she lost at sea and was now donning a pair of calf-high brown boots, black pants and a deep red long sleeved shirt that was the exact same color as her eyes. Her hair, though pushed back with a crimson headband she tied around her hair, still fell into her eyes sometimes. Yume's new appearance made Zoro dislike her even more, not wanting to take her as a serious swordswoman.

"At least I have a shot of becoming the best swordsman! You have no chance! Mihawk and I are men. We're always going to be stronger!" Zoro retorted. "Why don't you just give up!"

"You have no idea as to what I'm capable of!"

"None of it will do you any good in the end..."

"Prick!"

"Bitch!"

Both Yume and Zoro put a hand on their respective swords before the remaining Mugiwara Kaizokudan took notice.

"Leave her alone Zoro!" Nami called from the other side of the ship. She and Robin had been attempting to have a pleasant conversation, thought it was being rudely interrupted by the loud bickering.

"Yeah, how dare you challenge a woman as lovely as Yume-chan to a duel, stupid marimo-head," Sanji added, popping his head out the galley door.

"I'll challenge who I want to, damn shit-cook!" Zoro snapped back. He could see the disgusted look Sanji gave him as he returned back to his work.

"Let's settle this, right here and now," Yume said. "Who's the better with a sword." She unsheathed the sword on her back and stood in a warrior's stance. "Come on, unless you'll think that you'll lose."

"I'll make you eat those words," Zoro growled, placing his white sword in his mouth. Drawing the other two, he readied himself for the fight.

"You know," Gormal called from the crow's nest, "I doubt that you two should fight on the ship. It's already half-busted. You two'd only make it worse."

"Stay out of this! It's not your fight!" Zoro responded.

"Just be thankful I'm not already down there to beat on you for wanting to fight her," Gormal said, nonchalantly pointing at the swordsfighters. "She's like my elder sister and if anything happens to her because of you, you're dead."

"Thanks for the warning," the green-haired man muttered. "Like I'm really worried about what you are going to do to me."

"Yeah. You should be more worried about what I'm going to do to you!" Yume shouted, charging at Zoro. She ran as fast as she could at him, immediately dropping to the floor and sliding when she got in range of his swords. Taking her own sword, she swung upwards, catching the bottom of Zoro's swords. Without thinking, she landed a rather firm kick in an area that was more than sensitive and while he was incapacitated, she was able to stand up and drive her elbow between his shoulder blades, sending Zoro down into the deck.

"Augh! Bitch!" Zoro cursed. He stood up and faced the laughing woman, swords ready. "You're gonna pay for that!"

"Am I now?" Yume smiled. She twirled the hilt of her sword and placed it back in the scabbard. "Next time we reach land, we're having a duel to see who's better, got it?"

"Right, then this one does not count then, huh?" Zoro said with spite. He had to restrain himself from attempting to relive her shoulder of the burden her head was. The swordsman growled as he watched Yume walk off, relishing in her personal victory. He sheathed his own swords and began to walk over to the shade of the mikan trees for a nap.

"Oi," he heard from above. It was Gormal up in the crow's nest. "Are you just going to let a lass like that get the best of you?"

"No. Our fight isn't over," Zoro muttered. He then looked up and saw Gormal's smug face. "What are you laughing about, shit-head?"

"Now that's not very nice," Gormal snickered, joyously basking in the swordsman's irritability. "You better hope to hell that I don't take offence."

"...and what if you do?"

"I'll beat your arse... or better yet, have my captain do it for me," the deck hand smirked. He went and laid back down and closed his eyes in order to properly bask in the sunlight. He did not see the rude hand gesture directed towards him and went peacefully to sleep. They were scheduled to reach land the following day and he wanted to rest up for what was sure to be an exciting one indeed.

**80808080808080808**

"There it is!" shouted Luffy, bouncing happily on top of his ram's head perch. "Land! I can see land!"

"Yay! Finally!" Usopp cheered.

"Alright then, get ready to man the longboats," Nami ordered, spreading a map out before her. "There are some shoals close to the shore that will prevent the ship from being within five hundred meters of the island. We have to anchor right where we are."

"Umm, not to be rude, but shouldn't the captain be giving those orders?" Maon asked Nami sheepishly.

"Do you really think he's gonna give an order like that?" Nami asked casually, jutting her thumb over towards the rubber-man captain. Maon nodded his head in blank agreement and walked over to the longboat in preparation as Luffy and Usopp went inside the ships' hold to drop anchor.

"Someone looks a bit shaken," Yume snickered as she snuck up behind her nakama. "What's the matter?"

"Something's gonna happen today if we go to that island," Maon said, glancing warily at the mass of earth on the horizon. "It's a bad feeling, like one of us won't come back as we are now."

"You're nutters," Yume laughed slightly. She put her arm around Maon's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "I'm only gonna have a honor duel with our mission and then he'll be fully offed."

"Honor duel...?"

"Yeah. He challenged me on the ship and thinks he has a better chance of killing me on land. Nothing much."

"What'cha whispering 'bout?" Luffy asked, butting into the conversation.

"Oh, nothing!" Yume said, turning around and giving the captain a grin. "When are we going ashore?"

"As soon as Sanji's done packing our lunches!" Luffy said, unaware of Yume and Maon's conversation. Everyone else waited patiently, some more than others, and when the blond man finally emerged from the galley, Luffy seemed so happy that he was going to explode. The Mugiwara Kaizokudan carefully piled into the longboat and cast off for shore.

About twenty minutes and a few rounds of unnecessary cook/swordsman squabbling later, the ten pirates landed ashore. Zoro and Sanji immediately jumped out of the boat and began fighting, having been restricted to only name-calling earlier. Nami sighed as she got out of the boat and muttered something about men as she went off to find a good picnic spot with Robin in tow. Usopp, Luffy and Chopper were cheering on their fighting crewmates. This left Yume, Gormal and Maon to wander off on their own. The trio decided that it would be beneficial to go trekking through the copse of trees that covered most of the sandy island.

"Hm, no one's here. This island seems to be free of a human's touch," Maon observed as he followed closely behind Gormal.

"Eh, this place has 'pirate hangout' all over it," Yume said.

"Yeah, there are paths and such all about the woods," Gormal noted, pointing out the worn places where those before them had stepped. "I swear Maon, you're no good just going off by yourself. Just because there's no one else here doesn't mean that there weren't others here before."

"Right Gormal," Maon said as he sidestepped a fallen piece of fruit that had been overly ripe. "Wait, Yume-san?"

"Yes Maon-kun?"

"What happens if you aren't able to complete the fight you wanted today?"

"Then it's time for our apothecary to shine," she smiled, looking back at the redheaded man. Yume plucked a leaf from a tree and handed it to Maon. "You know what to do."

"You're going to try to seduce him?" Gormal questioned. "I highly doubt you would be able to pull it off."

"Sure I can. Just a few more days for the magic potion and get us alone on a night watch shift change. Simple!"

"I don't know," Moan said, twirling the leaf in his hand. "Maybe I should try one of my illusions. What you want to do was risky enough the first time. I hope you remember that the last attempt at this nearly killed you..."

"...and you ended up just stabbing the target to death," Gormal added. "A complete waste of talent and skills."

"The past, the past," Yume scoffed. She pulled her necklace out from underneath her shirt and began to play with it, revealing that there was a simple golden band attached. "I think this one is going to work. He's a pirate doing rounds at sea. No wife, no known lover, he's probably dying for it."

"I still don't like the idea," Gormal protested.

"Listen, I'll be fine," Yume assured. "You're just being over-protective."

"We can't help it," Maon smirked. "Yume-san, your going to always be our captain and we swore loyalty until the end."

"A girl couldn't have asked for better nakama," Yume sighed. The three shared a laugh until Gormal suddenly stopped and glanced around, looking cautiously at the surroundings.

"Hey!" Luffy's voice sounded happily, accompanied by a mirthful laugh. He bounded into the middle of his false crewmates and smiled. "Has anyone seen Nami?"

"No," Yume said, placing the necklace back discreetly. "Why? Are you looking for her?"

"Yeah! She took all the meat with her!" Luffy whined. Gormal gave a slight snigger as Yume led Luffy over towards another path in the trees and disappeared.

"Do you trust her judgement Gormal?" Maon asked as he plucked some more of the leaves from the tree.

"I always trust Yume-san's judgement," Gormal answered. "It is just the actions of all the other blokes I have a problem with. Her inherited power is going to fail her one of these days." He leaned up against a tree and sighed. "You know what I mean, right?"

"Of course," Maon said as he finished stuffing leaves into his pocket. "That should be enough to make a fast-acting elixir."

"How fast is that?"

"Seven days."

"Great," Gormal groaned. He then started walking away. "Come on and let's find those gits with our lunch."

"Right then!" Maon said happily, following his nakama closely.

**80808080808080808**

"Are you ready for this?" Zoro sneered.

"You bet," Yume smirked.

"Alright," Nami said in an official voice as she stood between the two swordsfighters. "This is a fight for bragging rights and training. Keep the injuries minor, got that? Chopper's medicine is starting to run low from all the bickering at sea." She paused, as if expecting a response from Zoro and Yume. Instead, they just stared at one another fiercely. "Fine," she sighed, stepping away. "Begin."

In an instant, both fighters let out a burst of energy and three katana clashed violently with a singular longsword. They stood frozen before one another in the grassy field, debating on their next moves. It was a process that seemed to bore some of the onlookers.

"I don't get it, why doesn't the baka marimo move already?" Sanji moaned, leaning back casually against a tree. "I mean, it's bad enough that he had to pick a fight with Yume-chan."

"You obviously have no understanding of swordplay. You know, I remember..."Usopp said in a voice that his crewmates recognized as his bragging voice. All but Chopper sighed as they began to tune the long-nosed teen out.

"Gormal, do you understand why Yume and Zoro are being so stubborn?" Luffy asked. He looked over at his first mate dodging a strike and pouted. "I don't get it at all."

"I think it has something to do with pride," Gormal said, half a smile on his face. "Yume-san has always had a very high sense of pride and when Zoro challenged her the other day, that pride was damaged. She retaliated and Zoro did not like the outcome. Now they are having a duel for their pride." Gormal pointed over towards the battle for Luffy to pay attention to. "See how they both are moving on their toes near constantly? That shows how they are really letting themselves go at one another. I doubt that this fight will cease until one is either unconscious or dead."

"Oh. I get it a bit better now," Luffy said. Then his face turned sad. "Why do they have to kill each other for pride? They really should just blow it off and forget about it."

"I don't think they're going to kill each other," Nami said lazily. "My money is on both getting beaten to a pulp."

"Wanna bet on it?" Maon said. Nami gained a twinkle in her eyes.

"Sure!" she exclaimed. "I say they're going to tie."

"Yume-san wins," Maon countered. "I bet a hundred berri."

"You're on," Nami grinned.

"I bet that Zoro'll win!" Usopp said, having finished his tale for Chopper. He placed a bill of money on the tree stump that had become the betting table and grinned. Robin, Luffy, Sanji and Gormal just sighed.

"You idiots are never going to beat Nami-san," Sanji muttered, lighting up another cigarette and taking a nicely needed drag.

"Don't worry, we'll beat her," Usopp said gleefully. "One of them has to lose."

"It's not proper to bet on our nakama's quarrel," Gormal scolded rather blandly.

"You too Gormal?" Maon half-cried. "Why does no one wish to back us up?"

"...because you're a bunch of fools," Gormal said before Sanji could add his own quip. Crystal blue eyes watched as both of the fighters landed blows on a shoulder. For a few seconds, Zoro and Yume stood there in exasperated fury, but then collapsed there in the grass simultaneously.

"Pay up boys!" Nami chuckled. Usopp and Maon were caught dumbstruck as Nami claimed her prize.

"I will get the longboat," Robin said calmly as she walked off.

"I'll help you," Gormal added as he followed the woman to the shore. Luffy followed Chopper over to the fallen fighters and watched the reindeer panic.

"Oh no!" Chopper squealed. "They've lost so much blood! These wounds are awful! They're both going to be held for at least two weeks for this!" He rushed back and forth from one to the other, random medical instruments appearing out of thin air and assisting the young doctor. Luffy gave a slight smile as Gormal and Robin reappeared with the longboat.

"All for pride," he said, just barely over a whisper. "You two are going to be great swordsfighters. I can guarantee it."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

So, am I keeping it on the level? No confusion? Any questions? Please ask in the review. Foreshadowing and stuff was done, yadah, yadah...

BIG NEWS: I have gone through and decided that I was going to reformat the chapter titles so that they were identified in arcs, as well as the singular chapter title. I will change the previous chapter text to incorporate this concept. This means lots and lots of chapters for the future. So far, there are eight arcs with a good possibility of being many chapters each. You're really gonna be sick of me by the time this fiction is over. -winks-

Keep them reviews coming! Morale is high! Will I make it to the Oregon Territory or will my oxen die of consumption? I should begin writing story now! Whee!

* * *

Edits: dividing lines, Robin's name (I might make further changes later. This chapter never sat well with me.)


	5. Allurement

Yay! Reviews! -smiles- Reviews encourage me greatly! Thanks to **_zenfry_**-kun, **_White Butterfly_**-san, **_weixuan18_**-san and **_sanji-luver_**-chan for reviewing! You get this extra-special chapter dedicated to you lot. I do not own _One Piece _in any way, shape or form, though I am blessed with the freedom to write fanfiction on it. -pets chibi Zoro figurine-

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Allurement_

Two weeks had quickly passed and Yume and Zoro ended up healing better than Chopper had expected. Yume had woken up first about two days after the fight and tried to throw Zoro's swords overboard, but Robin was on watch and stopped her. Zoro awoke three days later, shocked at the sluggish rate of his recovery and the rather quick pace Yume was on. Still, Chopper would not let either of them out of bed until the two week mark had come and gone, yielding for two very stir-crazed swordsfighters.

"It feels so good to be out of that room!" Yume smiled as she stretched out on the deck, soaking in the afternoon sun.

"I'm just glad to be out of the same room as you, bitch," Zoro muttered grumpily. He exchanged evil glares with Yume before going over to his weights and began working out.

"Yay! Yume and Zoro are up!" Luffy cheered, taking notice from his spot on the ram's head. He laughed and bounded over to Yume. "Are you feeling better?"

"Of course!" she replied with a smile. "I've got the best doctor around!"

"Oh, you don't have to say things like that, insensitive jerk!" Chopper blushed. Yume raised her eyebrow at the small reindeer and shrugged it off.

"Do you think you are well enough to take watch tonight?" Luffy asked innocently.

"Maybe. I think Maon or Gormal might stay up with me though."

"That's okay!" the captain said. He was about to address Zoro, but caught a whiff of the air and began to drool the air and began to drool. "I... smell... meat..."

_This is great_, Yume smiled internally as she watched Luffy walk in a trance-like state to the galley. _I've got to find Maon. Now, everything is coming together..._ She glanced up at Zoro and grinned slyly. _Enjoy your workout, for you're a dead man walking._

**80808080808080808**

"Good night everyone!" Maon said cheerily as he and Yume ascended the rope ladder that led towards the crow's nest.

"Stay out of trouble you two," Gormal warned before he disappeared into the trapdoor for the men's quarters.

"I'm sure Yume can take care of herself," Usopp snickered as he followed Gormal. "I think it might be Maon who should be worried about getting hurt."

"Why can't I be the one up there with Yume-chan?" Sanji asked wistfully.

"Come on ero-cook," Zoro sighed, dragging Sanji off by the collar. The cook did not appreciate this and both men ended up falling down the stairs in their scuffle instead of climbing down.

"Are they all gone?" Maon asked as he finally puffed his way into the crow's nest, utterly exhausted from the climb.

"Of course they are," Yume said, looking over the edge to view the deck properly. "I watched them all enter the hold. We're safe."

"Good," Maon sighed, pulling out a few items from his satchel and laid them out between himself and Yume. The woman watched as her nakama hunched over his work, mixing a few chemicals and draining them all into an empty bottle of grog.

"Is that it?" Yume asked, pointing at the bottle.

"Yes Yume-san," Maon replied, smiling proudly. "I hope you took the antidote earlier after you woke up."

"Of course, of course," she said waving her hand around nonchalantly. She then gave him a worried look. "It is going to work, right? I know the last time, I had the antidote while I had the poison."

"It should work better this time," Maon said. "Now, it's getting late. I should get back down to the men's quarters and change shifts."

"Good idea," Yume said, looking up at the moon. "It has to be well past midnight. We better hurry ourselves up if we want to make it before daybreak."

"Right then," Maon nodded, sliding down the rope to the deck, leaving the bottle of poison with Yume. The raven-haired woman picked it up and examined it in the wan moonlight, humming softly.

"...and a bottle of rum," she smiled.

**80808080808080808**

Maon sighed as he entered the men's quarters. Everyone was asleep, which was a good thing. He shook his head briskly and walked over to Zoro's hammock in a faked sleepy stupor.

"Hey Zoro," he said, nudging the swordsman awake. "Time for your watch. Yume's out there right now waiting until you get there."

"Eh?" the green-haired swordsman murmured, rolling over in his hammock so that he no longer faced the redheaded man. "Why can't the bitch take the watch? I'm tired."

"She was out there with me the whole time I was on watch," Maon reasoned. Zoro muttered something incoherently and lazily flopped out of his hammock and onto the very cold, and very firm, floor.

"Fine," he groaned. "I'm going. Where's that bitch so that I can tell her that she can go to sleep?"

"She should be by the mikan grove," Maon yawned as he climbed into his own hammock and began to go to sleep. Zoro sneered as he retrieved his swords and walked up the stairs to the deck. He shivered slightly as the ocean brought a slight breeze over the ship. The moving air was haunting in a way, attempting to alert him to what he was falling into.

"Oi, Yume," Zoro called out as he climbed the stairs to get to the mikan pots. "You can go to sleep now." He caught the raven-haired woman huddled over by one of the trees, her ruby eyes gazing off into the dark night and holding a bottle of what appeared to be grog in her hand. "Did you hear me? I said you..."

"Be quiet, of course I heard you," Yume said sourly. She downed the rest of the bottle and stood up, facing Zoro. "What made you think I suddenly became deaf?" When she discovered that there was no more in the glass container, she threw it overboard casually.

"You didn't answer."

"Just because I give no answer does not mean I did not hear you," she huffed, crossing her arms. She then started to shiver, moving her hands up and down on her arms. "Damn it is cold."

"Eh, not really" Zoro said nonchalantly. "So unless you plan on staying up here and freezing, I suggest you get down below."

"...but I can too stay out here without freezing," Yume said sheepishly. She looked up at Zoro with doe eyes and moved closer to him. "We could curl up together in the crow's nest to stay warm. Please...?"

Zoro was not sure what to make of the situation. Yume had usually treated him like dirt during the day and when people were around. Now that it was nighttime and they were alone, she was nearly a completely different person, actually wanting to be with him. This was just way too creepy. It was if the shit-cook was coming on to him.

"No," he said in an authoritarian voice. Yume startled him by instead of complying, she threw her arms around him.

"Come on!" she whined. "Why not?" Her face instantly turned into one so adorably cute, than any other man would have fallen for her if they were in the swordsman's position. The green-haired man did not budge however, moving one of his hands onto the white hilt attached to his waist while the other supported Yume for the sake of the both of them not falling over.

"What is with you?" he asked.

"I love you Zoro."

"You're drunk, aren't you? I can smell your breath."

"Am not! I'm telling you the truth!"

"Then why are you creeping me out!" Zoro sighed heavily. "Wouldn't that be the last thing you want to do?"

"...but I have to hide it when I'm around the others!" she sniffled. "Can't I show you my feelings when we're alone?" With that, she thrust herself up and connected her lips with Zoro's, forcing him into a fierce lip-lock. Completely taken aback now, Zoro was drove to stumble backwards until he was against the rail of the ship, a sheer drop into the icy ocean only inches away. Struggling, he pushed her away forcefully as soon as he felt her tongue begin to explore inside his mouth. Oh, was that ever creepy. Goose-bumps ran up and down his arm as he tried to forget the horror of what had just happened.

"What in the hell was that for?" he roared. Zoro stepped away from the railing and began marching over to Yume.

_Wait a second..._ he thought, stopping in his tracks. Yume had a menacing grin plastered across her face. _She's... smiling. What's going on?_

"What was that really about?" Zoro demanded.

"You'll see," Yume chuckled. She let out a slight laugh, caught up in the sight of a job near completed.

"Bitch. I'll... _gick_..." Zoro began. He was unable to finish his threat however, for suddenly, he could not make a single sound. His knees grew weak and he collapsed to the ground and supported himself with shaky arms.

_What did you do to me, bitch?_

"Ah, isn't it lovely?" Yume said in a sing-song voice, sitting down and looking at Zoro with a near playful air about her. "You are now at death's door. Seven days and you'll be gone forever. My nakama and I were paid a hefty sum to off you. Can't upset my employer and let you live now, huh? You might go and kill her beloved in a duel and considering how quickly you have been growing in strength lately, that could have been very soon by the looks of it. Now it's a burial-at-sea for you."

_Why you little..._ Zoro thought, trying his best to make his face convey his anger. His grimacing facade only made Yume laugh.

"I bet you're wondering what I did, eh?"

_Then come on and give it like a proper bitch does._

"That was not grog I was drinking earlier," Yume continued, crawling over towards Zoro and caressing his cheek so that he looked straight in her eyes. "That was poison. I took the antidote right before dinner so that there would be no trace of it in my mouth and only in my bloodstream. What other reason could there be for me to kiss you? Did I really convince you of my 'hidden feelings'? Ignorant man."

_Well, your performance was at least effective, I can say that_, Zoro sneered internally. _Now I want to know who it is that hired you so that I can kill her and her man. _Suddenly, his eyelids began to droop and his breath quicken. It also became increasingly harder to keep his arms from buckling.

"First the speech, then the strength, consciousness and breath. You might get the chance to wake up hours before you die, but that's unlikely," Yume narrated. She laughed gleefully as Zoro passed out at her feet, unable to move and barely able to breathe.

"Now for the final phase," she smirked. Yume took a few steps back and forced her eyes to well up with tears. "AAAAHHH! TONY-KUN! COME QUICK! ZORO COLLAPSED!" She feigned a panicked stupor as she pounded on the door to the men's quarters. "HELP ME! PLEASE HELP QUICK!"

"What's all the commotion about?" Usopp said groggily, opening up the hatch and poking his head out.

"Is Tony-kun there? Zoro's collapsed!"

"Collapsed?" Chopper answered, popping up from underneath Usopp's arm. He looked over to where Yume was pointing with a shaky arm and his eyes widened.

"Oh no! Zoro's collapsed!" the little reindeer gasped, hopping out onto the deck. "Doctor! Someone get a doctor!"

"You are the doctor," Usopp said blandly, still half-asleep.

"Oh, right," Chopper realized. Then he became instantly serious. "Sanji! Gormal! Quickly! Get the stretcher from the medical room! Luffy go and wake the girls! This could be really bad!"

"Whatever," Sanji said from down below. "I think he just wants to get out of taking watch."

"I don't think that's the case Sanji," Usopp said, finally grasping what was going on.

"What's happening?" Nami shouted, bursting out of the women's quarters, Luffy and Robin close behind. Her face grew pale as she saw Zoro motionless on the deck, spread-eagle as if he had been shot.

"Swordsman-san?" Robin asked, rather confused due to the fact she had just been woken up from a dead sleep only a minute before.

"Hey Robin," Chopper asked. "Can you please fetch some warm water?"

"Sure thing," the woman replied sleepily as she disappeared into the galley.

"Here's the stretcher," Gormal said as he and Sanji made their way up the stairs and onto the deck. The two men then placed their crewmate on the stretcher and brought him down into the sick ward as Chopper instructed. No sooner was Zoro on the bed when the green-haired man started to convulse wildly. He reached for his swords, but Sanji was barely able to take the weapons away before anyone was accidently sliced open. It took not just Sanji, but Luffy, Gormal, Usopp and Maon to hold down the thrashing swordsman as Chopper administered tranquilizers. Yume stood in the corner of the room, her eyes welled up with the false tears she had devised and let herself seemingly panic uncontrollably.

"What happened Yume...?" Nami asked, trying to calm down her nakama.

"He told me to go and sleep, for I was taking watch with Maon and I was walking back to our room and he just collapsed, right there on the deck!" Yume said, sounding confused.

"Right out of the blue?" Chopper asked over the shouting of the guys containing Zoro.

"Yeah," Yume sniffled, deciding it was time to calm down. "I was almost at the door too, so I almost didn't see. His eyes just rolled up and he fell to the floor."

"Curious," Chopper said thoughtfully. He looked over at the bed, which had a rather calm Zoro upon it and five worn guys on the surrounding floor. "Very curious indeed." The reindeer then began to examine Zoro. "Go to bed. It might be something I had overlooked earlier from when he had that duel."

"You heard him," Nami growled, tugging Yume by the wrist up the stairs to the deck. "I guess I woke up for absolutely nothing."

"Is everything alright down there Navigator-san?" Robin asked as she appeared from the galley with a pan of hot water.

"Just peachy," Nami muttered through clenched teeth. Robin watched curiously as Nami dragged a no longer sniffling Yume into the girls room and slammed the door.

"I guess that I am going to be taking watch," the archaeologist sighed, blossoming some arms on the wall to open the door to the sick ward for her. She could tell that it was going to be a rough night.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Yes! I did it! I know it might be a bit early to do and it might have been good to write stuff from in-between instead, but I wrote the assassination of Zoro! As a Zoro fangirl, I have to say... I'm glad I'm also a fangirl of Ace, Shanks, Kohza, Mihawk and Sanji, otherwise, I'd most likely be in tears. I tried to write about when our two sword-wielders were cooped up together, but nothing of any importance or content came. Just the two of them glaring at one another. Also, as a note, I had received a review that informed me of how Zoro in the previous chapter sounded sexist. He is not sexist, but harbors feelings against women of the sword due to you-know-who being dead and all that. My interpretation of that whole thing is most likely a bit different than others', so, yeah. I'm going back to the list next update! Until then!

* * *

Edits: Robin's name


	6. Hallucination

Thanks go out to **_weixuan18_**-san, **_zenfry_**-kun, **_Sanji-luver_**-chan and **_White_** **_Butterfly_**-san for reviewing! Squeals of joy run rampant when that little review counter goes up. Having faithful story followers is great.

So today chapter 430 comes out in Japan. This makes me very happy. Scanlations go up around Friday, so this is giving me more canon material to work off of. I think the only problem with that is I write in the character of later chapters and not what they should be. -sigh- I do not own _One Piece_. Plain and simple. I have given up. Now, a word from my brother:

Zanbato: -officially- I am Zanbato and I fully support the following dream sequence.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Hallucination_

When daybreak came, Chopper announced to the crew that he had no idea as to what illness Zoro had come down with. The small reindeer was half in tears as he said it, not wanting to admit to the obvious failure in completing a diagnosis.

"Do you think we should try to get to an island and maybe ask one of the doctors there?" Gormal asked, playing the part of a shocked and concerned nakama.

"I don't think there is anyone who knows what this is," Chopper sniffled. "I've had to rule out food poisoning because Sanji wouldn't go even that low and other than that, this is very different from anything I've ever seen and anything that's on record."

"How far does your record go back?" Usopp asked.

"Last month. That was the last time I was able to get an updated record book."

"Maybe it's like what Nami-san contracted when we were in Little Garden," Sanji suggested. "That stupid marimo-head is dull enough to let something like that happen."

"There's a possibility," Nami said. "He's strong though. Zoro should get over it in a few days."

"...but you almost died Nami!" Chopper snapped. "If any one of us dies, everything will be ruined! What is going to happen to all of us if Zoro dies?"

The galley was completely silent after the doctor's outburst. _Zoro? **Die?** _None of them, at least none of the Mugiwaras had ever thought of that happening. The swordsman was chasing a dream unknown to them in origin and that was all they needed to figure as to why he was so determined. The very thought of him failing was... unheard of.

Suddenly, Luffy, who had been very silent, stood up briskly. His eyes were downcast and expression grim.

"Luffy...?" Yume asked. She was amazed at the stony seriousness of his face, never expecting such an attitude out of him.

"S-So he might never wake up...?" the captain asked, his fists shaking.

"There's a chance of that," Chopper squeaked through tears.

"...but Zoro has to wake up," Luffy said. "He's gonna be the world's greatest swordsman! He can cut through steel and the moon! He can't die! Not now!"

"I'm sorry Luffy..." Chopper tearfully replied. Only his restrained sobbing was heard as his captain stormed out of the room.

"Now he's done it," Sanji sighed, taking a long puff of his cigarette before going to prepare breakfast. "He's upset Luffy. Now the kid's gonna be a wreck."

"Umm..." Maon quietly said, "but why does it upset Luffy so much?"

"Zoro has been with Luffy the longest," Nami explained. "They were a two-man unit when I came around. Their loyalty to one another is more solid then a boulder."

"I guess it would be like if I had ever lost you or Gormal-kun," Yume explained. "It would break my heart to lose one of my nakama, new or old."

"Don't worry Yume-chan, I'll never break your heart," Sanji said, heart-eyed. The ruby-eyed woman just raised her eyebrow at the fawning man.

"The eggs are burning."

"Oh shit!" Sanji exclaimed as he rushed over to the stove.

"Maybe someone should go talk to Luffy," Robin suggested. The others looked around the room and waited for someone to volunteer.

"I'll go," Usopp said, standing up and putting on a brave face. "I, the Dread Captain Usopp, will talk to Luffy for everyone and have him snap out of it!"

"If you're the 'Dread Captain', then why are your knees shaking?" Gormal asked, pointing out the sniper's quivering legs.

"Never mind that!" Usopp said. He then walked out of the galley and headed over towards the ram's head where he knew Luffy would be seated.

"Is he going to be alright?" Yume asked, a worried expression on her face.

"Him? Usopp'll be fine," Nami sighed.

"No, I mean Luffy."

"The kid can handle it," Sanji cooed, setting a plate of food in front of Yume. "Don't you worry about it my lovely. Just eat and be content." Yume looked down at her food and quietly began to eat. It was the hardest meal for her to eat in her life.

**80808080808080808**

"You're lucky you're a boy, Zoro."

_Kuina...?_

Zoro looked down at the two children talking in the night air. He recognized the scene instantly. He saw his younger self clutch his swords and stand up briskly.

"Let's make a promise to each other! Someday, one of us will become the greatest swordsman ever! We'll fight each other for the title!"

"You idiot," Kuina sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You're too puny! It's a promise!"

They clasped hands and gave one another friendly grins. Young Zoro chuckled in delight. "You do realize that you're going to lose!"

"Yeah, right!" Kuina laughed. "If you can't beat me now, you'll never be able to!" Both children laughed and began walking over towards the doorway the older Zoro was standing in.

"No!" he shouted at the children. "Please! Kuina! Listen!" He went to grab his old friend, but his grip simply phased right through her. Zoro just watched in horror as the two children walked off into the dojo.

"Damn it!" Zoro cursed, pounding his fist against the wall. He absolutely hated these dreams. Actually, they were more like nightmares. He knew what would come next. Her death, his training, going out into the world... it was always the same, every time he thought about it. Everything came crashing down on him again, as if living it once was not bad enough.

Zoro closed his eyes and the scenery changed in a fluid motion. He looked to find that it was daytime. It was the next day, the one that changed his life. Kuina was walking down from the top of the staircase that led to the attic of the dojo. She was carrying a large box in her arms and giggling.

"This is going to be great!" she smiled. "Wait until Zoro sees all this training equipment that I found!" She stepped down and her foot shifted so it was on the outside edge of her step. Losing balance, she fell down.

"Kuina!" Zoro shouted, rushing towards the stairs. He then stopped, realizing that his grasp would just go right through her again. He watched from the base of the staircase in horror as Kuina and the box tumbled down the stairs.

Then something that never happened, did. A flash of sea-foam green rushed past him and caught Kuina and began tumbling down the stairs as well. When everything had settled at the bottom of the staircase, he was amazed to see that it was the younger him who had caught Kuina and now she was lying on top of his younger self.

"Ow!" she whined, rubbing her left shoulder. Kuina looked down to see Young Zoro rubbing the back of his head in pain. "Oh no! Are you okay?"

"Yeah!" the small boy exclaimed. "Don't do that again! That really hurt!"

"O-Okay," Kuina smiled nervously, standing up and helping her rival to his feet. "Let's gather this stuff up and start training."

"...but we don't have any training scheduled for today."

"We do if we're going to become the greatest swordsmen ever!" Kuina laughed as she picked up the now-empty box. Older Zoro watched in amazement as what he knew was the past shattered before his eyes. The scene melted again and reappeared as a warm summer day on the dojo grounds.

_What is going on here? Am I still dreaming?_ he thought. Looking around, he found himself and Kuina dueling with their swords. He had to be no older than fourteen, since Young Zoro was only barely taller than his opponent. Older Zoro held the hilt of the white sword at his hip and grimaced while he watched Kuina attack his younger self with it.

"Is that all you've got?" she mocked, blocking one of the green-haired boy's blows. Young Zoro swirled around with his two swords and attacked Kuina again. Some cheering could be heard from not too far off coming out of their fellow apprentices. The battle raged onward before the young man was finally able to knock Kuina down and sink his swords into the grass on either side of her raven-haired head.

"Six thousand two hundred eighty seven to one," he grinned. Kuina was shaking in awe. The crowd of onlookers were struck speechless. The proud youth unstuck his swords from the ground and held out his hand. Kuina took it and let him hoist her to her feet.

"Good job," she smiled, tears beginning to flow from her eyes. Without warning, she hugged Zoro around the middle and began to reluctantly cry. Red tinted the boy's face as his eye twitched. The other boys were shocked and amused by the sign of affection and slowly began to giggle.

"Hey you guys!" Young Zoro snapped, shaking his fist. Kuina let go and looked back to see their fellow trainees laughing hysterically.

"Alright!" she snapped, shutting the boys up. "Anyone who has a problem is going to have to face me in a duel with real swords!" She picked up her sword from the ground and pointed it at the other students, who seemed positively petrified. "No takers? Good."

Another scene change. This time, Zoro and Kuina were definitive teenagers and alone in the sakura orchard, sitting underneath a tree, next to one another. They were leaned up against the tree, with Kuina's head gently resting on Zoro's shoulder. They watched peacefully as the sakura blossoms gently swayed in the spring breeze, illuminated beautifully in the light of the full moon.

"Zoro," Kuina started, "there's something I want to tell you before you leave tomorrow."

"Yes?" her companion asked.

"Listen," she said, righting herself and facing the slightly younger Zoro. "I know you have been practicing real hard, trying your best every day and even taking up a third sword in order to become the greatest, but..."

"...but what? Are you saying that you don't want me to leave?"

"I..."

"The only way to become the greatest swordsman in the world is to go out and challenge it," the green-haired teen said sagely. "Come on, you know that. I haven't forgotten our promise."

"Neither have I," Kuina said sadly, adverting her eyes away. "It's just..."

"Just what?" He glanced at Kuina as she started to cry, her arms crossed and holding herself. The young man took his weight off the tree and placed his hand on her far shoulder. She looked up and when their black eyes met, he gently kissed her.

"Don't worry," he said, pausing for just a moment. "I'll still be walking and with all my limbs when I return. You just keep on practicing with your sword so we can have that title match, got it?"

"Got it," Kuina laughed through tears. "Just do me a favor, okay?"

"What?"

"Take my sword," she said, moving away and grabbing her white hilted weapon from its spot next to the tree. Kuina held it out before the teenaged Zoro and smiled weakly. "This way, I'll always be there fighting with you."

Zoro shook his head. "No, I can't do that. You keep your sword."

"Take it," Kuina pleaded, coming closer to him. "Please. I beg you."

"No," he said standing up. Kuina stood as well, showing the man invisible to the scene that she was just barely half a head shorter than he was.

"Please...?"

"I told you no," Zoro replied. He cringed at the wide, watery eyes Kuina was giving him. "Your father would kill me if I just ran off with your sword. It is not mine."

"...but it is mine to give and I give it to you," Kuina reasoned, shoving it in the young man's hands. She crept up and kissed him again, except this time letting her tongue slip through and travel into his mouth.

"Kuina...?" Zoro asked, backing away cautiously.

"Take it from me Zoro," the young woman sighed. "Take it and be thankful I'm not like most girls. They'd give you something totally useless, like a bracelet or something pink or feminine."

"Hm," he laughed. "I guess there is something to be glad about then." The phantom Zoro watched as the scene melted and melded into another. It was when he left the dojo in search of stronger opponents. Kuina was wishing him luck, waving her arm wildly and loudly cheering him on.

Then he saw himself tied to the wooden post in the damned Marine base a year later, Luffy and that pink-haired wuss peeking over the concrete wall.

"_I'll untie you if you'll join my pirate crew, okay?"_

When they acquired Nami...

"_I love only two things in this world: money and mikan!"_

Usopp...

"_I have eighty-thousand men waiting to attack you at this very moment!"_

"_Liar."_

"_She saw right through me!"_

Sanji...

"_A cook's hands are his life. I can't risk damaging them in battle."_

That day he fought Mihawk...

"_Strive to surpass me Roronoa Zoro!"_

Vivi...

"_I have to fight for my people."_

Chopper...

"_Oh no! Somebody call the doctor!"_

When they left Vivi behind in Alabasta...

"_From now on, no matter what happens, this sign on our left arm will forever be the sign of our friendship!"_

Robin...

"_Let me... join your crew."_

Then he saw himself with the crew in port. Not any particular port, but one that was bustling along with activity. He accidentally bumped into a woman, knocking her to the ground. Bending down to help her up, he saw the familiar blue-black hair and dark eyes that he had left long before.

"_Zoro...?"_

"_Kuina...?"_

They took the rest of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan by surprise, not to mention other random onlookers. Kuina had been out searching for Zoro, wanting to be with him. Once they stood, they kissed and crushed Sanji's hopes of yet another breasted object to flirt with. He brought her with them as the lookout. The two of them would spar in the daytime and laugh it up over memories at night.

Zoro saw himself fight Mihawk and win before Kuina's eyes. She was proud of him and never let her promise fail. They too fought for the title, though he kept it.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zoro roared at the scenery as it changed once more. The pictures kept on changing and melding into images of a life that he could have had. Leaving Kuina at her father's dojo, tearfully kissing her goodbye. Coming back a few years later to find a young boy with bright green hair and a kendo bokken in hand. Being a pirate. Being part of a family. Being a lov...

"Stop it!" he screamed into the warped images. Then he heard laughing... sinister laughing.

"Yume!"

His surroundings went dark and Yume stood before him, her red eyes laughing and a smirk upon her face. Zoro reached for his swords, but they were no longer there.

"So long," she smiled. A lever was held in her hand and Zoro suddenly found himself before a large host of people, all cheering and excited. The clanking of the trapdoor beneath him was heard over the raven-haired woman's cackle.

Inside, Roronoa Zoro cursed violently at the beast before him. On the outside, he grimaced in pain, for it was all that he could do. There was not a soul in the room to watch him, everyone else having gone to sleep hours before.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Zoro's Dream: Oh yeah! -punches air- Did I ever have fun with that! Quoting manga and thinking up of an angst-ridden alternate universe! There is a point to this, trust me. My reasons are grounded firmly! Firmly I say!

All the Zoro/Kuina: I so advocate this pairing and really wish that there was more. Lots more. Zoro/Tashigi so does not count. I mean, if Kuina had lived in the original version, I would definitely be a happy otaku and Zoro would be a happy man. -shakes fist- If only, if only...

* * *

Edits: one word change to match proper age sequence of certain characters


	7. Deviation

Be warned! There is a load of foreign wording up ahead and I don't mean Japanese! There will be translations at the bottom in the author's notes, for anyone who cannot read German (including myself). I know I'd be lost too without my ickle translation dictionary. I do not own _One Piece_! I'm glad that I seem to be getting the darker side of my characters out wasy enough. That was a concern earlier on, but I'm confident now. Thanks to **_zenfry_**-kun, **_weixuan18_**-san, **_White Butterfly_**-san who gave me happy, happy reviews! Review all you other mean peoples... and Sa-chan. I know you're out there too. -poke-

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Deviation_

"Listen, I don't know how much longer we are going to be able to stay on this ship."

"Yume-san, we need to stay for at least a few more months."

"Maon-kun, I really don't give a thought."

"You aren't regretting doing this, are you?"

"Gormal-kun!"

"Hey, I was just saying..."

Yume shot her nakama a glare as the three sat alone in the men's quarters. Gormal took his cue to stop talking and held his thoughts inward.

"Yume-san, we're just curious about our next move." Maon explained. His captain shifted in her place on the floor and shrugged.

"Right now, we're just winging it."

"Yeah, but you seemed worried at breakfast three days ago."

"Gormal-kun, that was three days ago. I needed to look worried."

"I don't know," Maon said, scratching his chin in thought. "I've seen you act many times before and this is the first time you've had me thinking you were concerned."

"That's just how good my acting's become," she smirked, nudging the redheaded man playfully.

"Whatever," Gormal sighed. "Yume-san, can I talk to Maon in private?"

"Sure," she muttered, standing up and walking towards the trap door. Yume had never denied her crew the right to talk amongst themselves before and she was not going to start there. She climbed the ladder up to the door and looked back at Maon and Gormal. "I'll just hang out with the others."

"No one's stopping you," Gormal shrugged. Yume just threw back her head and gave a short, false laugh before disappearing behind the door.

"Who needs them," she muttered, stepping out into the bright light of the sunny deck. The day was beautiful and clear with a slight salty breeze thrown in for good measure. Despite the picturesqueness of the weather, a silent gloom lurked about the ship. She looked around in search of the others on board, though there was little to be seen. Thinking nothing of it, Yume went into the galley to hunt down something to eat.

"Hey there Sanji!" she said merrily as she spied the chef at work. A blond head turned and worn blue eyes met red.

"Hey there Yume-chan," he said blandly. Wait... blandly? That was not right. Not right at all. Yume was shocked at the cold welcome and walked over to Sanji.

"Are you feeling alright? You don't seem like yourself."

"Baka marimo-head's got everybody worried sick over him," Sanji spat. He paused in making the luncheon rice balls long enough to take the cigarette from his lips and flick the ash into a waste bin. "Idiot should have never gotten up as quick as he did."

"Okay," Yume said quietly. She took a small step away from Sanji as the man began chopping up the nori into manageable sizes. "Can you please tell me where the fruit is?"

"Third cupboard to the right of the icebox," he answered in a dull voice. Yume went and grabbed herself a bright green apple and bit into it.

"Thanks," she said as she walked over towards the door.

"Sure," Sanji answered. Yume raised her eyebrow as she took another bite of the apple.

_What's up with him?_ she thought. _Sanji and Zoro usually fight like cats and dogs. Why is he one of the ones acting all mopey?_ She walked over towards the side of the deck and peered over the edge, watching a distant storm rage across the waters. It was too far away to be a bother to them, even she could tell that, but it made her wary all the same.

"There you are," Nami said, coming up behind Yume with a map in hand. "I was wondering if you and your nakama were familiar with the area we were going to head into."

"Maybe," Yume said, turning around and glancing at the colorfully intricate piece of paper in the navigator's hands. "Oh, that looks a lot like Hana Isle."

"That's because it is. Have you been there?"

"Yes, a few times," Yume said. "What route are you planning on taking to get to port?"

"What do you mean?" Nami asked, placing her ginger hair behind her ear. "There's only one clear route and that's here." She traced the outline of the island going from east to west until it reached the southern bay.

"No. We have to go around the other way," Yume said, tracing a different path. "The way you want is filled with submerged rocks and stronger than average sea kings. Our best bet is to go around the island and come in from the west."

"Speaking from experience?" Nami questioned.

"Yeah," Yume nodded. "Nearly lost Maon-kun there. He was never really a strong swimmer to begin with."

"Okay," Nami giggled. "Hey, what kind of island is it?"

"Huh?"

"What kind of weather is on Hana Ilse?"

"Oh, cool weather," Yume nervously laughed, embarrassed at her own stupor. "I think autumn season most likely."

"Good. It'll be nice to wear a sweater again," Nami smiled as she disappeared into the women's quarters. Yume looked down at her apple and examined what was left of the bright green skin and browning white flesh. She pitched it overboard and cursed.

**80808080808080808**

"Wow! I like this place!" Usopp said in amazement as he walked though the streets of Hana Ilse's port city of Sakasou. Everyone was there with the exception of Luffy, Nami and Maon, who all agreed to stay behind to watch over the _Merry Go _and Zoro. Sakasou was a technological city, littered with throngs of shops filled to the brim with every kind of trinket imaginable. It made the sniper drool in delight.

"Hey, stay focused," Gormal said, pulling away Usopp from a shop window. "We're here to stock up on supplies and try to find medicine for Zoro."

"Oh yeah, I nearly forgot," Usopp sadly muttered. He and Gormal then joined up the rest of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan in their trek of the market.

"I think we're going to need to split up," Robin said after a while. Everyone else glanced at her and nodded their heads in agreement.

"I'll get the food provisions," Sanji said.

"I'll find things for the ship's upkeep," Usopp ginned, eyes glinting over towards one of the shops nearby.

"I've got the medicine," Chopper piped in.

"I better go with Tony-kun," Yume said quickly. "I think I remember a place for some really powerful stuff on the outskirts. It's a shot in the dark, but it might work."

"Ken-san's?" Gormal asked, raising his eyebrow suspiciously. "You better make sure everything you get from him is legal. Never can tell with that bastard."

"Exactly why I'm going along and not just leaving Tony-kun to fend for himself," Yume said with an as-matter-of-fact air about her. The others just stared at Yume and Gormal with shocked and worried expressions. Their new nakama definitely did... know people.

"Then you're coming with me," Sanji ordered Gormal.

"Wouldn't you rather prefer Robin?" Gormal rebutted.

"I'm not going to bring her along and have her carry things, no matter how much I hate to leave her with that liar," Sanji sneered, walking off towards the western end of the market. Gormal reluctantly followed as Usopp melted into a puddle of misery, clearly hurt by the remark.

"Okay Tony-kun, let's go," Yume said, shoving her hands in her pockets and began walking to the north. Chopper went from miniature humanoid to regular reindeer behind a passing cart so that no one would see and trotted off after Yume.

"Was Gormal serious about this guy being illegal?" Chopper asked in a low tone after a short while of walking. Yume looked downward to see the reindeer glancing around the street in fright.

"Sometimes," she stated. "Don't worry. They guy's all show though. I think the biggest thing he's ever done as far as illegally is avoided arrest from the Marines on multiple moonshine counts." Chopper cocked his head to see Yume's calm face smiling down on him. He felt much better hearing her words.

_Tch, gullible kid_, Yume thought as Chopper directed his gaze before him._ Ken-san is one of the most wanted apothecaries in the Grand Line. He doesn't even go by his real name because of it._ She smiled as she saw the thicket of trees just beyond the town that their destination was situated in.

"We're almost there," she said. Chopper playfully bounded forward a little, trying his best to appear to be a pet in order to seem more normal. Well, normal was stretching it. Still, it took them nearly no time at all to enter the trees and come upon a ramshackle stone cottage. Thatch for the roof was missing in pell-mell places and random bits of stone were scattered about the yard that surrounded the house.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Chopper asked, changing into his miniature humanoid self.

"Of course!" Yume said, giving a thumbs up.

"If you insist," the young reindeer squeaked. Warily he followed Yume inside the house where they looked about for any signs of life.

"Oi Ken-san!" Yume shouted, wandering about the building's dank insides. "Ken-san, where are you? It's Yume Edonis. _Allem Anschien nach, dein Haus ist eine höllisch Durcheinander_."

"_Du verrückt kinder_," replied a raspy voice. The figure of a man stepped out of the shadows and approached Yume and Chopper. The reindeer gulped as he saw the wan light from outdoors play with the man's glinting eyes. "What's this you brought with you? Decided to ditch your nakama in favor of a little fuzz-ball?" The man's accented voice made Chopper cringe in fear.

"Let us cut to the chase Ken-san," Yume said, stepping forward so that she stood between the shadowy figure and Chopper. "We need some medicine. Powerful medicine."

"_Echt_?" Ken-san asked. Yume shook her head.

"We need it for a crewmate. He's fallen ill suddenly and without reason. What he's got isn't on record."

"_Gegenmittle_, perhaps?" Ken-san pondered. He glanced over at Yume and saw the slight smirk on her face, recognizing what it was. "Ah, I have just the thing then. Follow me." He slunk back into the shadows and Yume stepped forward to follow.

"What are you doing!?" Chopper whispered sharply. "That guy gives me the creeps!"

"Don't you worry," Yume said as she continued walking into the shadows. "I've known this man for a long time now. He won't try anything on us."

"I sure do hope you're right," Chopper squeaked as he followed close behind Yume, clinging onto her pants leg. They passed through a few hallways and then down a flight of stairs before stopping in total darkness. Chopper had no clue as to where they were, but Yume clearly did.

"_Zuckerpille_?" came a voice from the blackness.

"Yeah, that should do," Yume answered, stepping forward and leaving Chopper behind. The small reindeer began to panic until a light flickered on and illuminated the thick-aired room. Before him was a wall of shelves with every kind of medicine he could have ever imagined. At least, it all looked like medicine to him. He marveled at the sight, ecstatic over the place.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "Is all that medicine!?"

"Most of it," explained Ken-san's voice. Chopper looked around the room until he found a wiry man with dusty brown hair and pallid skin pulled against a gaunt expression. He had a thin, neatly trimmed beard on his jaw line that matched his hair and clothes on that looked worn and patched. Small framed eyeglasses sat before blue-grey eyes that sparkled with a chilling viciousness. "You do not want to know what the rest is though, for then I would have to kill you on the spot."

"Are you Ken-san?" he asked, swallowing his fear.

"Yes I am," answered the man. "You are a sight indeed. A talking reindeer. Yes, truly a sight. I never thought that _jung _Edonis-san here would replace her nakama with you."

"I have not replaced anyone. At least, not yet," Yume answered, leaning in a stoic manner against the stone wall. "Gormal-kun and Maon-kun still live and travel with me. The medicine is for one of the nakama I have gained recently. He might die soon and we do not even know what it is that ails him."

"I see," Ken-san pondered, grabbing a step stool from the corner. He put it down by the large shelving unit of bottles and vials and began to use its height to look.

"_Spiel weiter_," Yume said. Ken-san looked at her and nodded in agreement.

"What are you saying?" Chopper asked. Yume played absentmindedly with the ring on her necklace as she glanced over to the reindeer over by Ken-san's chemical table, finding him looking at her curiously.

"Ken-san comes from an area in the South Blue that was isolated for many, many years and developed their own language due to the fact it had very little to no contact with the rest of the world," the swordswoman explained. "I learned the language when I was younger and some things are just easier to explain in his tongue."

"Oh, I see," Chopper sighed, looking back at the many experiments Ken-san had in progress. "Can I learn the language?"

"No, you cannot," Ken-san said as he came down the step stool with a bottle of a cream colored liquid. "The only outsiders who learn our language must be first cleared by the leader of our people." He handed the bottle to Yume, took some berri from her and then bowed slightly to Chopper. "Nothing personal _jung Rentier_."

"Damn," Chopper pouted. Yume laughed slightly.

"You know Ken-san, this is the doctor of the crew I've just joined."

"_Estaunlich_," Ken-san whispered, looking over Chopper with glee. "_Teufel Frucht_?"

"Nothing less," Yume smiled.

"_Jung _Edonis-san," Ken-san asked, suddenly becoming gravely serious. "Are Marines after you?"

"No. You should be safe here for a while. Besides, I had to tell the navigator how to get here. She would have put us on the rocks if I had not given direction."

"That's the new breed for you," Ken-san sighed. "Marines would have never followed you around. They would have tried to beat you to Sakasou Harbor."

"Hey, these guys aren't those bastards who don't believe in dreams," Yume said, patting Chopper on his red hat. "They all aspire to be great one day... even this one."

"That is good to hear," Ken-san said with a smile. "Now you two better be off. I trust that you can show yourselves out."

"_Danke schön _Ken-san," Yume said as she walked towards the stone staircase that led upwards. "_Tschuss_."

"_Tschuss_," Ken-san replied. They both waved at one another, though their backs were turned and the only one who saw their gestures was Chopper. The small reindeer wondered for a moment and then scuttled off to catch Yume. He did not talk until they were out of the house and in the woods again.

"Yume?"

"Yes Tony-kun?"

"How did you meet Ken-san?"

"Through Maon-kun, why?"

"I just wanted to know." He stayed quiet again as he changed back into his deer form for going through the town square. They were almost back at the ship when they heard Nami's cries.

"Chopper! Yume! Come quickly! I think Zoro's waking up!"

_It can't be_, Yume gasped internally. She and Chopper rushed up the gangplank and onto the deck, nearly plowing over some barrels.

"Are you sure?" she asked the ginger-haired navigator. Nami nodded firmly. "Maon's down with him."

"Let's give him that medicine Ken-san gave us Yume!" Chopper squealed, becoming a small biped again. Yume followed Chopper down the stairs to the sick ward, her heart skipping a beat when she discovered that Zoro's eyes were snapped wide open and his body rigidly tense.

"He's been like this for about twenty minutes now!" Maon said. Chopper took the bottle of liquid that Yume was holding and poured some down Zoro's throat.

"Now we wait," the reindeer sighed.

_Don't tell me he's immune, don't tell me he's immune, please don't tell me that he is immune! _Yume panicked. _That was Maon-kun's best poison! If that fails..._ She calmed down once Zoro relaxed and closed his eyes.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Hana Isle: I _think _that _might _have the name of the island in the sixth One Piece movie "Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island", but since that place technically never existed, it's here. -smiles- I love YouTube.

* * *

Okay now! So I put a lot of German into the conversations! -sweatdrops- Heheh! Here's some spiffy translations. I hope my translations were at least semi-accurate. I haven't had a German class in years and my grammar even back then sucked. -sighs- 

Allem Anschien nach, dein Haus ist eine höllisch Durcheinander: To all appearances, your house is a mess. (Sucky phrasing, I know.)

Du verrückt kinder: you crazy kid

Echt: Real

Gegenmittle: antidote

Zuckerpille: Sugar-pill (like a placebo... the pills you don't need because they're FAKE!!)

jung: young

Spiel weiter: play along (I think...)

jung Rentier: young reindeer

Estaunlich: Amazing

Teufel Frucht: Devil Fruit

Danke schön: Thank you

Tschuss: kind of like "See ya!" I was going to put the double, hissing "s" at the end of the word, but I thought that everyone was already confused enough. -nod-

* * *

That's enough for me now! Have a very special Friday the Thirteenth!

* * *

Edits: a few words here and there, nothing big


	8. Incubus

Has **_anyone _**else seen Chapter 431!? My heart skipped a few beats and now I have to rework some of my later story plot! Oda-sensei! That was mean... but still fun at the same time! I do not own _One Piece_. Thank you to **_zenfry_**-kun, **_White Butterfly_**-san, **_Sanji-luver_**-chan and **_weixuan18_**-san for being decent and leaving reviews.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc: _Incubus_

Luffy sat at the foot of the bed, straddled in a chair and staring at his unconscious first mate. He had barely spoken a word for five days straight, only answering short questions and manner blurbs of please and thank you. He spent most of the day either watching the blanket covering Zoro gently go up and down with his chest or stared out into the sea while sitting on the _Going Merry'_s prow.

Actually, the whole crew felt the effects of Zoro's illness in their own ways. Sanji had no one to scuffle with over mannerisms, so he spent more and more time holed up in the galley. Usopp was down one fellow prankster with Luffy being depressed and one less prank victim in Zoro and therefore tinkered with his inventions. Nami was unusually quiet with no one to complain about. Robin never really was effected on a contact basis, but missed having to concentrate on her books over the sounds of a workout or a fight. Gormal and Maon were bored out of their minds with the lack of excitement. Yume constantly sat up in the crow's nest, playing with Maon's chemical kit in what most thought was an effort to help Chopper save Zoro. The worst off of all though, was Chopper. The poor little reindeer knew of Zoro's exact condition constantly and saw that everything was going down hill sharply.

On the fifth day of the swordsman being incapacitated, Yume had finally come down from the crow's nest. She glanced around and when found that everyone was preoccupied with their boredom, she snuck below deck and to the sick ward.

"How's that medicine coming along Tony-kun?" Yume asked as soon as she found the reindeer at work in the ward. Chopper gave a weak smile and a heavy sigh.

"Not good," he said. "Zoro's condition is decreasing in quality."

"Might it be Ken-san's medicine gone bad?"

"No. If it was the medicine, the rate of the illness's severity would have quickened or come to a complete halt and stayed dormant. What has happened is his health is still failing him at the same rate it was before. Are you sure that Ken-san gave us the right medicine?"

"Of course," Yume said. "What Ken-san gave us was a very powerful all purpose medicine. He calls it 'Zukerpille', but what it does is work wonders. At least, it should..."

"We shouldn't worry about it," Chopper sighed heavily, thankful that Luffy had recently decided to sit on the ram's head instead of the chair in the corner. "Did you make that medicine like I asked you to?"

"Yeah," Yume said, pulling out a bottle from the pack of equipment she carried. She handed the clear liquid to the reindeer and let him pour it down Zoro's throat. "I followed your directions exactly."

"Good. I'm sorry I had you do this, but between researching and..."

"It's alright," Yume smiled. "I guess it would be better me than Sanji. Mixing these medicinal ingredients is near the same thing as mixing cake ingredients, but he's all about experimentation."

"Yeah," Chopper said sadly, glancing over at Zoro. He then looked back at Yume. "Speaking of Sanji, I'm hungry. Can you please look after Zoro for me while I get some food? I haven't eaten all day."

"Sure Tony-kun!" Yume said. Chopper left the room and once she knew he was out of an earshot, Yume laughed.

"Heh. I hope you like your second helping," she chortled. "That was some security, just in case you were building an immunity. Won't kill you any quicker, but it will keep you from pulling through." Yume rummaged though the sack and pulled out a corked vial filled with a reddish liquid. "Antidote's right here. Had to skim it off that stuff before giving it to you, otherwise it'd be useless."

Yume sighed, looking at Zoro with a smug smile. Soon another job would be complete and she and her crew could move on. She knew, deep down, she would miss playing around with the Mugiwara Kaizokudan, but that was part of the job. Taking a deep breath, she spoke but once more before taking a nap in her chair.

"See you in Hell, Roronoa Zoro."

**80808080808080808**

Yume's laughter had stopped long ago, but Zoro could still hear it ringing in his ears. Shrill bouts every once in a while taunted him as he walked along that lonely beach. He had no idea as to why he was on a beach, but he was. No swords, no food, no people... just him, the sand and the water. He tried several times to go towards the copse of trees that also occupied the island, but the distance between himself and the trees became farther with each step he took. So with that option out of the question, he just walked the shoreline. It was there and so was he. That's all that was really needed.

"Stupid bitch," he sneered, kicking up some sand. "Just when we get another girl around, it had to be _her_: Miss Assassin of the Year." Zoro made a disgusted grimace and spat into the coming wave. "I knew that we shouldn't have trusted her. Stupid Luffy; letting her stay. Now I'm hallucinating and dying at the same time. This sucks."

Zoro spat at a wave again and felt the empty place where his swords should have been. It felt odd, not having their familiar weight pressed against his body. Somebody must have taken them off him in reality, otherwise he could have probably kept dreaming he had them. Letting out a frustrated grunt, he kicked the sand again, letting it fly up in a white wave of gritty comfort.

"Zoro," a voice called.

"Eh?" Zoro looked ahead of him and saw a woman standing on the other side of the beach. She had black hair and a plain white sun dress that fluttered with the slight breeze.

"Zoro..."

"Kuina...?" Zoro squinted at the distant figure and shuddered disbelievingly. "It can't be..." The woman he was seeing was the adult Kuina from his dream. The Kuina he grew into adulthood with.

"Zoro..."

"Not this again," he pouted. The green-haired man stormed across the beach, figuring he might as well get this head game over with. He looked blandly at the female and muttered a curt "What?"

"You need to snap out of this," she said softly.

"Yeah, I figured that part out already," he snorted. "I don't suppose you know the way off this island, do you?"

There was no answer. Just a stare.

"Kuina... why did you have to die?"

"So that you could become the best."

"I saw what could have been. We could have had a life together. A shared dream. Something that is shattered by what really happened. Why?"

"You needed it," she replied.

"Needed what!? You dead?!"

"Of course."

"...but I was stronger with you there!"

"That's what you have always wanted to believe." Kuina's glazed over eyes stared out into the sea. "Neither of us would have made it out of the dojo had I died."

"No! I don't believe it!" Zoro said, grabbing Kuina by the forearms. The woman looked back at him and sighed.

"That dream you had was a complete lie, all the way down to the very end, only being a fabrication of what you want to have happened. Had I lived that day, you and I would have taken over Father's dojo before either of us would have the chance to leave. We would have become just another married couple and fade into the scenery as time went by, failing in keeping the biggest promise either of us could make."

"No! Our dream is too big to fade, let alone fail!"

"It was either me or our dream. Some events have to supplement others, whether those events happen to be good or bad."

"I'm dying," Zoro hissed. "Our dream is dying right along with me!" He gave Kuina a good shake for dramatics. "I still have so much to do for the both of us!"

"Then go and do it," she said, her voice deadpan. "Go and achieve our dream."

"How? I'm going to die. I was poisoned Kuina..."

"You will not die," Kuina said. "You will see another day."

"That bitch poisoned me."

"She will not let you die."

"She is an assassin, Kuina! _Assassin_! She kills men like me all the time!"

"You are wrong." Kuina let her eyes narrow in anger. "There is no other man like you. Most men are not destined to become the greatest swordsman the world had ever seen, on top of being a dedicated first mate to the Pirate King."

Zoro let out a deep sigh. This conversation was frustrating him.

"I was poisoned," he repeated. "My destiny has changed. I am going to die."

"Trust in her, as you trust in my soul," Kuina said. She leaned forward and brought her face close to his so that she could whisper gently in his ear. "You carry my soul with you always in that white sword and in your heart. If you are to die, so will the power of that blade. There will never be another who can use that sword properly until our dream is achieved. That woman is trustworthy."

"How is that?" Zoro asked, disgusted with the very thought.

"She is capable of things far beyond what you give her credit for. Her character will shine through."

"I know the character of bounty hunters and assassins. They care for only themselves."

"Did you care for only yourself while you were a pirate hunter?"

"I..."

"You did too care," Kuina said. "You cared about Johnny and Yosaku and about me. You cared about Saga and the others back home at the dojo. She cares about her nakama..."

"I was never her nakama," Zoro huffed. "I was her target."

"You were more her nakama than she ever really knew," Kuina replied. "You will not die. She has to become what I never lived to get the chance to."

"...and what may that be?" Zoro asked. Kuina only looked up at him.

"Snap out of it Zoro," she said. Gently, she buried her face into his chest and wept. The swordsman stood there and held the adult vision of his childhood friend comfortingly, hoping that she was right. What Zoro did not know though, was that while he held her, she whispered into his chest.

"Our _yume_. Our _dream_. Do not give up hope in her."

**80808080808080808**

_Yume..._

"Ano...?"

_Yume..._

"Who's there?" the raven-haired woman asked into the night. She had woken up from her sleep in a furious panic, eyes darting around the room searching for Robin and Nami. Unable to find her cabin mates, Yume grabbed her sword and rushed out the door and into the hall. She threw open the door to the deck and screamed.

Robin and Nami were there alright. They were lying in a bath of their blood.

"No! Minna!" Yume screeched as she rushed over to the girls. She knelt down to see what had happened, but was only chilled by their listless expressions. Crimson was flecked everywhere on their skin, making the assassin shudder.

_What on earth did this to them?_ she wondered as she backed away. Yume stared at the corpses in horror while she shifted herself to run towards the galley. Once she could feel her hand on the doorknob, she rushed herself into the hold and slammed the door behind her.

"This can't be happening," Yume panted, keeping her gaze to the ground. "Hey Sanji, are you in...?" She looked up and saw no one there. Glancing around, she saw that it seemed as if the blond man had been in the middle of preparing breakfast for the rest of the crew but was rudely interrupted. Plates were arranged at the table for nine, the tenth having been dropped on the floor and shattered. The stove top was lit with a low flame and some eggs were beginning to burn at their edges due to neglect. Near random ingredients were scattered about the kitchen helter-skelter. Even the raspberry pastry that Sanji always made for her was splattered on the floor, the plate broken on top of it.

"Sanji...?" Yume asked warily, reaching for the hilt of her sword in precaution. She glanced around, trying to scope out a place where an assailant could be hiding. What had they done to the chef? The ruby-eyed woman noticed that one of the metal doors in the room was bent, as if someone was trying to kick their way out of the sub-room it led to.

_San...ji?_ she panicked as she rushed over to the door and opened it. She found the cook sitting on the floor, resting against the wall and an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips. His gaze was directed at the floor, looking past a relaxed knee that bent in the air for an armrest.

"Sanji!" Yume said thankfully. She quickly made her way over to the blond. "Nami and Robin! I found them outside dead! What's going on?!"

Just then, she noticed the chill in the air. Yume glanced around, noticing all the frozen racks of Luffy's meat and other edible treats. She looked back at Sanji, who lacked all form of movement. Carefully, she put her hand against his cheek and recoiled quickly. His skin was icy cold against her own. Sanji had been frozen solid.

"No..." Yume whispered, backing away and running out of the ice closet. She burst out of the galley and nearly ran over the lifeless females. Yelping in surprise, she ran up the stairs to the mikan plants in order to find someone. Her cries were only met by more death. Usopp's throat had been slit and his blood was running down the coat of a humanoid Chopper, his own skull beaten in. Both of their faces were twisted in the agony of their final moments, leaving images in Yume's mind that she would have rather gone without.

"L-Luffy!?" Yume shouted, looking around frantically. She found no one else there before her, not even his corpse. Dead bodies littered the ship, though there was no sign of Luffy, Gormal or Maon. A chill ran up her spine.

_Why...? Why is this happening...? _she thought as she let her knees give way and collapsed onto the wooden planks of the deck. _How come I am so shaken? This was never part of the plan. What did Maon-kun and Gormal-kun do...?_

"It was not your nakama who did this," growled a voice, making Yume jump. The voice was familiar, chilling in a way...

"Juraquille!" Yume gasped, turning around to see "Hawkeye" Mihawk standing with his falchion aimed at her throat.

"What do you think you are doing, young one?" he sneered.

"I... I do not know..." Yume said, her eyes trained on the tip of the falchion.

"You killed them." His voice was cold and stern.

"My job is to kill people. That is how I live. You know that."

"Is it your job to kill your nakama?" Mihawk spat.

"I did not kill them!" Yume snapped defensively. Her voice softened when the falchion's tip came closer to her neck. "I only killed my target. Anyone else would be unnecessary."

"Then why are you covered in their blood?" Mihawk asked. Yume looked down at herself. She was splashed from head to toe in dried flecks of blood. Her body began to shake in fear.

"W-W-Wha...?"

"What is the matter...?" Mihawk asked, seemingly amused. "Do you not see blood on a regular basis with your line of work?"

"Yeah, but... I did not kill the Mugiwara Kaizokudan!" Yume yelled.

"You did kill them. You killed them all, one by one, starting with Roronoa Zoro..." A pang hit Yume in the stomach as the name was spoken.

"How would you know Zoro?"

"He is striving to surpass me!" Mihawk announced proudly. "Now he is dead and an honorable dream is finished without being fulfilled! How can you do that!?"

"I'm sorry!" Yume squeaked.

"Apologies do not bring back the dead, even if they are your own crew members..."

"Gormal-kun...? Maon-kun...?"

"In the crow's nest, murdered by you..." Mihawk spat. Yume snapped her head up to look at the very top of the mast, but all she could see was a rather dark-skinned arm hanging limply over the side of the nest.

"No!" she cried out, reaching her arm up towards the sky. She then brought it back close to her body. "Wait... I have not seen Luffy. Where is Luffy?"

"Drowned." The acidic yellow eyes narrowed on her. "You would know. You did it."

"I did not!"

"By killing their swordsman, not only does his dream die, but yours and everyone else's as well!" The polished blade showed no mercy, impaling her slender throat.

"_You do not deserve to live as one with honor young one, as long as you allow that man to die..._"

Instantly, everything was black, Mihawk's last words ringing through Yume's ears. She sat up and examined her surroundings. In the lack of light, she could just barely make out that she was in the women's quarters on the _Merry Go_, Nami and Robin slumbering peacefully in their respective beds. Sighing out of relief, Yume flopped back down on her pillow and stared at the ceiling, hating dreaming that she had already woken up.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Incubus: Yes, I want to explain. An incubus can either be considered a violent nightmare or a male pleasure-demon. I'll let you pick your own definition this time.

Kuina Again?: Yes, she was necessary. Yeesh.

Yume's Dream: It's all a matter of scaring the dickens out of her. Yeah, I know it seemed a bit... corny, but it did its job.

Mihawk: Yes, he has a purpose too. In time, in time.

Next Update...?: Hopefully on the 4th of November. I dunno. Report cards come in on the 2nd. -nervous laughter-

* * *

Edits: I used the space bar.


	9. Realization

All Hollow's Eve... one of the best times to doodle on myself claiming to be a demon and dance around to _Paranoia Agent _music. Christmas carols work too, but I spare the neighborhood the trauma. I know that this chapter is a bit quicker than others have been, so I won't rant _too much _about fewer reviews than normal. Wait... there are as many reviews as normal! Yayness! Thanks to **_weixuan18_**-san, **_zenfry_**-kun, **_sanji-luver_**-chan and **_White Butterfly_**-san. You guys rock out loud!

I do not own _One Piece_! -sulks-

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Realization_

"What's wrong Yume?" Usopp asked though this twelfth flapjack of breakfast. The swordswoman simply picked at her raspberry pastry out of boredom, obviously not listening. "Yume? What is the matter?"

"Oh! I'm sorry," Yume answered, jumping a slight bit at the realization Usopp was talking to her. "What was that again?"

"You look pretty down in the dumps," the sniper said through another bite of flapjack. "Is it Zoro?"

"Why would it be Zoro!?" she half-gasped, making everyone else stare. "Eh... I mean... why would you say that?"

"Usopp, I think everyone's feeling a bit 'down in the dumps' around here," Gormal sighed, tearing into some bacon. He dodged a rubbery hand slinging past him in an effort to procure more scrambled eggs and grabbed another slice of toast. "Even Luffy's depressed when he's not eating."

"I guess you're right," Usopp said, looking down at his now-empty plate of maple syrup. "We're all a bit worried, aren't we?"

"Of course," Nami said from behind her morning newspaper. "I think with this crew, if anyone's not feeling well, the whole crew doesn't feel well, right Sanji-kun?"

"Why of course Nami-swan," Sanji agreed as he placed some more food gently on Nami's plate. He then went and fetched a frying pan from the stove top and slopped the egg contents onto a platter for the males at the table to scrounge over. As predicted, a fury of scrambled eggs ensued that enveloped Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Maon.

"Ugh," Sanji scoffed as he cringed at the sight. He recoiled back to the stove where he began to fry some more bacon.

"Hey Chopper," Yume asked suddenly. "How long has it been exactly since Zoro fell ill?"

"Ano... a week I think," the young reindeer said. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering," Yume said, returning to picking at her breakfast. "It's just that it seems like so long..."

"Okay, I'm sick of it," Nami said, slamming her newspaper down on the table. "Spit it out, right now and get it over with!"

"Spit what out...?" Yume asked nervously, glancing around to find that the only two people not looking at her now were Luffy and Maon, both of whom were fighting over the newest batch of eggs.

"You know what I mean," Nami said, narrowing her eyes at Yume. "Don't think you turn invisible at night when you randomly get up and leave our room."

"So I get up at night; is there a problem with that?"

"I've watched you go over to the sick ward for the past six nights in a row! All you do is stand there and watch him!"

Yume's face turned sheet white. She had never realized that Nami was spying on her. It was true that she would watch Zoro for a few moments at the least during the night, but she could tell the progression of the poison just by simply glancing at him. The color of the skin, breath, perspiration... she wanted to make sure that everything was progressing as planned. At least, that was the reason she gave herself.

"Is this true Yume?" Gormal asked. Yume looked at her nakama and saw an almost puzzled look.

"I... ano..."

"Admit it," Nami growled.

"If you please Navigator-san," Robin piped in. Nami's face went from flustered to curious in an instant. "The only thing that you can accuse the Swordswoman-san here of is concern for her nakama... which I am sure that all of us here have."

"Yeah... but..."

"I think," Robin added, "that you should just leave things be for now." With that, she stood up and quietly left the table.

"What are you looking at...?" Nami growled at Usopp and Chopper as they stared at the navigator with wide eyes. Both panicked and hurried to get back to their meal.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Yume said quietly as she got up and headed for the galley door herself.

"...but you did not finish your breakfast Yume-chan," Sanji interjected, going up to touch her on the arm. Yume backed away and silently walked out.

"Now you did it," Gormal said before taking a sip of coffee.

"...and what is that supposed to mean?" Nami snapped.

"Whatever you want it to," the deckhand smiled. Nami shot him a mean glare as he calmly continued on with his breakfast.

**80808080808080808**

"Maon," Gormal said, catching the attention of his nakama. The redhead looked up from his game of cards to see Gormal towering above him.

"Yes?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Can't it wait? I've almost cleaned out Usopp of his berri."

"Now," Gormal ordered. Maon grumbled and threw his cards down grumpily onto the deck, making for a highly relieved sniper.

"What could you possibly want to talk to me for?" Maon asked as he followed Gormal up the stairs to the back of the ship. The dark-skinned man turned around on a dime and looked the musician straight in the eyes.

"How much of breakfast's conversation did you catch earlier?"

"Every word. Why?"

"You didn't seem like it. It looked to me like you were more concerned with out-eating Luffy."

"Well, that too," Maon grinned.

"Dumb-arse," Gormal scoffed shaking his head in annoyance. "Did you hear that spat between Nami and Yume-san?"

"How couldn't I have? The Marines probably could have used the sound to track us." Maon waited for Gormal to laugh, but obviously the taller man was too deep into thought to care much.

"There was something funny about the way Yume-san looked at me while Nami was yelling at her. It is almost like that wretch was making a credible accusation."

"You can't be serious," Maon said, giving Gormal a questioning look. "Yume actually beginning to regret taking on a job? That's unlike her."

"Maybe she's finally growing a conscious in her," Gormal said, leaning against the rail of the ship. "Of all the times..."

"Do you really think that she is?" Maon looked at Gormal with worry. "Is it really possible for Nami to be right?"

"I think that maybe she was." Gormal's face became hard and serious. "I swear that if that man lives I'll..."

"Stop that talk! It makes me think that you might be jealous..."

"Me? Jealous? Never," Gormal scoffed, walking away from the conversation. Maon stood alone on the ship's rear deck, badly distraught over what to do. Shaking his head for a second, he went back down to the main deck to continue his card game with Usopp.

"What was the matter?" Usopp asked as the musician sat down and began to shuffle the playing cards again.

"Nothing," Maon smiled wryly. "Just a small chat between old friends. Nothing to worry about."

"Good," the sniper said as he picked up the cards Maon dealt. "I don't think it would be good to have even more tension on this ship."

"I know."

"Yeah. I remember once when I was the hero of my village and there were squabbles between the townspeople, I was the one how took responsibility and stopped the fighting! Quite dangerous in a town half-populated by cannibals..."

"You lie better than ever," Maon snickered, laying down his hand. "Straight ten high."

"Heh. Straight queen high." Usopp laid down his cards and showed Maon that for once, he was not lying. Maon let the card shark gather the deck together and shuffle proudly, having finally beaten the redheaded man for the first time after twenty-three rounds, that afternoon alone.

**80808080808080808**

Yume looked up at the dark ceiling, carefully listening to the breathing of the other occupants of the room. Across the room Robin was calm and breathing in a deep, steady pattern. Nami against the adjacent wall seemed to mimic the same soothing routine the archaeologist preformed.

_Why now?_ Yume thought, letting her eyes wander to the light speck of sky that she saw through a porthole. The stars were out, millions of white specks littering the indigo sky. The raven-haired girl tossed and turned in her bed, wondering how long she would have to wait.

_Gormal has double watch tonight_, she thought, finally laying down still on her mattress. _Tonight I don't have to worry about the watch shift... but should I go and see him again? I mean, he will die. _She looked over at her shelf and saw the small vial of liquid she kept around. She gently took the antidote into her hand and examined it in the light of the crescent moon filtering in though the porthole. _I could bring this along and cure him. Everything would go back to the way it was. No. I would still need to kill him in order to keep the reputation I have worked so hard to attain..._

"So are you going to do it?" called out a voice softly. Yume turned her head to see Nami sitting up in bed.

"Do what?"

"Check in on him."

"What's it to you?" Yume asked.

"Just wondering."

"Being nosy's more like it."

"Just..." Nami's voice was weak now. "Just tell me how he's doing when you come back, alright?"

"Okay then," Yume said, shifting in bed so that she easily stood up. She looked over at Nami, who wore not the agitated expression of what had become all day, but a worried look upon her face.

"Thanks," she said as Yume walked out in her lavender-colored nightgown. Nami sighed softly as the door to the room closed and the sound of Yume's footsteps quickly faded into the distance.

_Okay, I gotta do this!_ the dark-haired girl said to herself as she walked through the hallway to the sick ward. She finally reached the ward door and opened it silently, peeking in on the gently resting swordsman.

Yume looked silently at the motionless Zoro from the door, wondering what she should do. She clutched the small vial of reddish liquid in her hand and walked into the sick ward quietly. Looking around, Yume discovered that she was alone in the room with the swordsman, anyone else on the ship clearly missing from the scene. She sat down on a chair next to his bed and watched as the blanket covering him rose and fell softly.

_Tonight is the seventh night_, she thought, repeating the situation over in her mind. _Soon, he is going to die. Should I let him die?_ Tears began to well in her eyes as she clenched her fists angrily. _I should, as it is the assassin's code to carry out an assignment or die in the process... but what would Juraquille say if he found out I killed a man who is striving to surpass him? He's all about honor and dignity, not wanting to disrespect meaningful pursuits._

Suddenly, a small cough escaped from Zoro, making Yume jump. She watched attentively to see if Zoro was still breathing. He was, though just barely.

_What should I do? I would be disgraced as an assassin if I go back on my mission and if I go through..._ She glanced over at Zoro again, except this time, her heart felt as if it had skipped a beat.

_He's not breathing._ The blanket lay still. His raspy breathing could not be heard, sending the girl into a panic attack.

"Zoro? Zoro!" she panicked. Quickly, Yume uncorked the vial and carefully poured the contents into his mouth. "Please, wake up!" She tilted his head so that the liquid could easily fall straight down his throat, though there had been so much of the antidote in his mouth that small streams of it formed at the corners of his lips.

_No_, Yume thought as she placed his head back down on the pillow. The potion flowing from his mouth and down his face more resembled blood now. _I was too late. I... I..._Yume was to the point of not being able to think. She sat down and cried into the blanket on Zoro's body, her forehead resting against his covered leg. Yume wept until her eyes were dried out from the excessive crying. She fell asleep that way, half on her chair and half on the bed, a sorrowful expression on her face.

**80808080808080808**

Yume looked around the deck of the _Merry Go_, wondering where everyone else had gone. Well, she did have an idea, since it was a dream after all, but it still did not hurt to check. She had searched the ship, looking for even a single sign of the others. There was none high or low. Not even Zoro could be found in the sick ward. Her clothes were fresh and clean of any blood. It was as if everyone else had simply vanished into thin air.

"How odd," she told no one in particular. Giving the deck a scan again, she scratched her head in wonder. Then, from behind, she caught the tell-tale sound of someone jumping up onto the ship.

"There you are young one," Mihawk said as Yume turned around. The woman smiled at him in amusement.

"Alright, where did you put them?" she chuckled.

"Put who?"

"The Mugiwara Kaizokudan," Yume smiled.

"Nowhere," Mihawk answered plainly. He walked up to Yume and cupped her chin in his hand, looking at her face. "You are just dreaming."

"I know," she replied with a smirk. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here."

"True."

"I did what you wanted me to."

"What might that be?"

"I saved him," Yume said as Mihawk brought his hand away. "I gave him the antidote."

"Did you see him wake?"

"Well... no... okay! I just tried alright!" Yume became flustered and pouted. "I just missed him."

"I thought you knew better young one. You always were the most cunning woman I've even known."

"Yeah, well, apparently '_cunning_' doesn't always mean '_bright_' Juraquille," Yume said with an as-matter-of-fact tome to her voice. "I let you down."

"Do not be too sure about that quite yet," Mihawk said, his face just barely loosening to bring out a mildly warm expression. "I am sure you caught him."

"He wasn't breathing! He's as good as dead! An ex-swordsman! He has ceased to be! He's a stiff!"

"You never know," Mihawk said, his face hardening again to a scowl. "Are you a doctor?"

"No..."

"Then do not say that you know about medicine." The Shichibukai gave a nod in agreement with himself. "You are a swordswoman."

"Thank you Captain Obvious," Yume snarled. "You always were one to point things out bluntly."

"Just as a reminder young one," Mihawk nodded. Yume rolled her eyes in irritation.

"For goodness sake, I'm eighteen. Stop calling me 'young one' already!"

"The day I stop addressing you as 'young one' is the day you prove to my face that you are respectable enough to be called by name." Mihawk turned around and began walking back to the edge of the deck.

"So... that's it? You're leaving?"

"Yes."

"No _au revoir_? _C'est la vie_, maybe?"

"Live," the man said as he crouched down in order to jump. "Live so that one day, I may find you and be proud to acknowledge your existence."

"Sure thing Juraquille," Yume smiled as Mihawk sprung into the air and down to the waters below, where she knew a boat was waiting for him. Her smile turned sad as she saw the green-lit boat float away into nothingness.

"Sure thing..."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Nami vs. Yume: Yup, the navigator's intuition is tingling.

Antidote...?: Remember her dream last chapter? Yeah? Good. Figure it out yourself.

Mihawk Again: Who here finds it annoying that I'm not explaining outright yet his purpose?

Monty Python Reference: Who can find it? It's a slight one, but still a reference. Extra special dedication of next chapter to those who figure it out! Put your reviews in by the fourth, for then shall be the next chapter provided my grades went well!

* * *

Edits: one word, maybe two. I can't remember.


	10. Forgiveness

So reviews show that the last chapter wasn't exactly everyone's favorite. That's okay. It's not my favorite either. Actually, the last three chapters in this arc (18-20) are not my favorite either, but they need to be plowed through in order to get to the fun stuff… like giving people reasons to like my male OCs. I'm gonna try people! Not exactly in this chapter, but somewhat soon! -nervous laughter- Reviewer thanks are directed to **_zenfry_**-kun, **_weixuan18_**-san, **_White Butterfly_**-san and **_sanji-luver_**-chan for being so awesome and reviewing on my erratically updated chapter. I do not own _One Piece_, if you haven't figured it out by now.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Forgiveness_

The only things Zoro could see were contained in short, bright flashes that surged all around him. His body felt like it was immersed in a whirlpool, swirling around uncontrollably every which way it could, dumped into a continuation of the alternate life with Kuina that he had been shown before. Since his meeting with the fantasy on the beach, a slide show of sorts had been playing in his mind. The images generally stayed the same as they were in the first haunting dream, but different slight variations popped up here and there. Then, very unexpectedly, everything instantly became darker as he bolted upwards, now simply sitting in bed with sweat pouring from his skin and his breathing irregular. The room was dark, nighttime still prevailing before the impending dawn.

_Is this my soul leaving my body?_ he thought. _It must be. _He looked over towards his pillow to discover there was no one there. His soul was still firmly placed in his body and it seemed as if the two were not going to part for a while.

_Alive? I'm alive...? ...but Yume poisoned me. I should be dead_. Just then, he felt something trickle down his face and onto his chin. Putting his hand to his face, he found the thickened reddish antidote Yume had fed him. _What in the hell? Blood? What is going on here?_ Zoro put his hands in his face and sighed heavily.

"What the...?" he hoarsely muttered as he felt something warm snuggle up against his leg. Zoro had to blink a few times before his eyes adjusted fully to the lack of light. He jumped when he saw that it was Yume, partly laying curled up against him while she sat awkwardly in a chair. The green-haired man sneered as he pushed her off the bed, allowing her to fall to the floor and wake with a start.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. Yume moaned slightly as she stood up, keeping her gaze off Zoro. "I must have fallen off."

"I pushed you off, bitch," Zoro growled, wincing with the realization of how much it still hurt to move. Yume turned around and gasped at the sight of Zoro glaring back at her sharply.

"You're alive!"

"No thanks to you. What were you doing there? Seeing that I died for sure?"

"Oh! I was so worried!" Yume cried, ignoring Zoro's last comment. She went and hugged Zoro, crying into his bare chest. "I thought I lost you. I thought the antidote was too late..."

"Antidote...?" Zoro was now more confused than ever, as if Yume being concerned about him was not bad enough. "What antidote?"

"The one that's all over your face," Yume said, forcing herself to look up and giggle. She wiped the congealed liquid from Zoro's face. "I must have given it to you just in time."

"You actually saved me...? Why?" Zoro's voice quavered with suspicion.

"I can't kill you. I have no idea why, but I just can't bring myself to end your life."

"What do you mean that you have no idea why?"

"Exactly how it sounds. I don't know if it was the mere thought of losing simply was too awful or the morale of the crew or what I saw in my dream or... I'm sorry I ever tried to kill you..."

"How do I know this is not just a trick?" he snapped, forcing Yume away and holding her upper arms to keep the woman at bay. "You tricked me before. It was a rather creepy trick, but you still tricked me!"

"Would I revive a poisoned man just to kill him by a blade?" she flatly half-whispered. "It is true that I am cruel, but that is just wrong." Yume adverted her eyes away from Zoro. "I thought that I had to live by the assassin's code and kill or die in the process... but I just couldn't honestly kill you..."

"You seemed pretty sure about it when you honestly poisoned me earlier."

"That's because... I never thought about what it would be like without you here," Yume said morosely. She began to sniffle slightly and stared at Zoro's three swords resting upright in the corner across the room. "Everyone changed so much. The ship was no fun. It was awful. I couldn't stop thinking about him and what he would say..."

_I'm so confused_, Zoro thought. _Why in the hell is she doing this personality switch? Is she bipolar or something?_

"Please..." Yume whispered just loud enough for Zoro to hear. "Please... forgive me."

"Tch," he murmured. "At least look at me when you apologize."

"I'm sorry!" Yume said, snapping her head so that she looked right in Zoro's eyes. The green-haired swordsman gasped. The face he saw was not Yume's, but Kuina's. The Kuina from his dream. The _adult _Kuina he grew up with and loved dearly.

"Shit," he cursed, shaking his head in disbelief. He released his grip on her forearms as his palms became clammy.

_No, no, no, no_, he yelled internally. _She's dead. She never lived past that day. This... **thing **is nothing like her!_ Zoro glanced up at Yume again, eyes ablaze with anger. Her face was no longer the haunting vision. He could look her in the eyes once again.

"I don't get you," he growled. "This is a trick. I know it is."

"I wish it were," Yume replied plainly. "My nakama are going to never stop egging me on for this one."

"How powerful are those mates of yours really?" Zoro questioned. Yume flushed and pouted so that she was not facing him. The swordsman grunted demandingly while Yume's face softened slightly.

"Ano..."

"Answer me."

"We're not mediocre if that's that you mean," she said quickly, casting her eyes down in spite. "The three of us are an assassination group from the South Blue side of the Red Line and have eliminated all we have been paid to kill. I met Gormal-kun and Maon-kun one day a few years ago and after we teamed up in a bar fight, we've been inseparable ever since. All this time, we've chased bounties, sold our killing service to powerful people and have even at one point been messengers for the Five Elder Stars in the government headquarters."

"So then..." Zoro said grimly, crossing his arms. "The truth is out. You three aren't so two-bit after all." Yume shook her head quickly before she spoke again.

"We were going to leave soon after you died. Move onto another bounty and another job. Ready to kill the others to get away."

"You underestimate us."

"Maybe, or it is you that are underestimating the fight."

"You still haven't said why did you let me live..."

"I don't know! Like I said, I have no idea as to why I did what I did! It was probably out of impulse!" Yume huffed. She glared at Zoro out of frustration. "What, do you think I like you or something?!"

"Now that's the last thing on my…!"

"Hey, is anyone in there? I could have sworn I heard voices..." asked a voice as the room lit up from candlelight. Zoro and Yume froze, gazes fixated on the door as Gormal walked into the room. The man stopped solid when he saw his captain sitting on Zoro's lap, dressed in her pajamas, while the man was very much alive. Sure there was a blanket between them, but he was _alive_...

"What's going on here?!" he demanded angrily, red coloring his face. His hand found a pistol tucked away in his sash, though the deck hand seemed hesitant to draw it.

"Look, Gormal-kun, I can explain," Yume said, getting off the bed.

"You better be able to," he sneered. "Did you pressure Maon into making an antidote for this man?!"

"N-No..." Yume replied, her voice weak from all the stress. "I made it myself. You can't make a second batch of poison without making the antidote as well."

"So that's what you've been doing..." He walked over to the bed and looked disapprovingly at Zoro. The swordsman only icily glanced back, knowing that it would be futile to pick a fight with this man when he was not back at full strength yet, while Gormal clearly was.

"Gormal," Yume said firmly, a slight hint of fear in her voice. "Leave him alone. Captain's orders."

"Why go back on your honor?" Gormal snapped, turning briskly so that he faced her. "You always took pride on never failing. Were Maon and I right? Did you finally learn how to regret? Nami must have nailed you dead on during breakfast."

Yume stood silent, bravely standing before the perturbed man that was just about twice her size. She stared down her nakama with a shaky stance.

"I said it was captain's orders," she huskily murmured. Her clenched fist quavered as she awaited a reply. To her surprise, Gormal put the lantern from his hand down on the table and began to walk towards the door.

"Should I get Chopper?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Zoro interjected. He shifted his legs so that his feet touched the cold floor and stood up unsteadily. Yume rushed over to him as he got up and swayed, pushing him back down.

"Don't get up yet. Let the antidote work fully first. It might not have gone completely throughout your system yet."

"Don't give me that crap. I'll get up whenever I want to," Zoro replied, lightly pushing Yume away. He stood up again and stumbled until he fell into a chair with a slight wince. "See? No problem."

"So you say," Gormal sneered. He walked out of the room and angrily made his way back to the crow's nest to finish watch.

"So much for staying on his good side," Zoro muttered. Yume sighed and glanced at the swordsman in annoyance.

"I never expected you to be on his good side when he thought I was going to kill you," she snapped.

"You certainly do change moods quick."

"I need to be able to," Yume explained, flipping back some of her black hair with a deft shake of her head. "Acting skills are a necessity for all the times when I go undercover for assignments."

"Makes sense," Zoro shrugged, slouching casually in his seat. "So, what now?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do." Zoro looked up at the woman before him and gave a half-hearted smile. "You spill every little embarrassing detail about everything and anything to me in a highly humiliating fashion. That's what happens in those stupid novels of Nami's."

"You read Nami's romance novels?"

"No, but Chopper did once," Zoro laughed, remembering what it was like watching the reindeer for the few weeks after he had done so. "He told me all about it. I've never cared much for reading myself."

"I can tell why," Yume snipped. Zoro shot her a glare, but then blinked in thought.

"What was that about you and Nami at breakfast?"

"Why do you need to know?"

"A week is a long time to be out of the loop," Zoro said mockingly. Yume sneered as she got her own chair and placed it about two meters away from Zoro and sat down to face him. "Especially around that woman."

"She was just accusing me of things at breakfast, that's all," she scoffed. "Nothing big."

"She'll blackmail you for all you've got, you know that, right?" Zoro said with a slight laugh. Yume just raised her eyebrow and sighed. She stayed silent as she heard a light clopping noise in the hallway. The door creaked open to reveal another intruder on the private conversation.

"What the...!?" Chopper exclaimed as he entered the room and found Zoro to be sitting up in a chair. The reindeer almost fainted in surprise.

"Hey there Tony-kun, I was just about to go get you," Yume lied. Chopper bounced over to Zoro and began a doctor's examination in amazement.

"Chopper! What do you think you're doing?!" Zoro roared as the reindeer began ruffling his green hair. The swordsman shoved him off as Yume began to giggle in her seat.

"I think I should leave you two alone," she laughed as she stood up and began walking over towards the door. I think maybe I can catch Sanji for an early breakfast if I hurry."

"No, wait!" Zoro called out as Chopper began testing the reflexes in his knee. The swordsman could only watch as Yume smiled and walked out of the sick ward and into the hallway, disappearing from sight.

"This is amazing!" Chopper exclaimed as he kept on conducting random examinations of different places on the swordsman. "Just last night it seemed as if there was nothing that we could do for you, but now you are nearly fit enough to begin training again!"

"Yeah, imagine that," Zoro scoffed.

"Well, this is quite remarkable. Maybe it was that 'Zukerpille' stuff Yume's friend gave us after all..."

"Her friend?"

"Yeah, on Hana Ilse. The guy looked really scary, but was kinda nice." Zoro raised his eyebrow as Chopper continued. "He spoke this weird language to Yume and she understood it completely. It was creepy, but he smiled at me."

"Lovely," Zoro sighed, trying his best not to punch Chopper. "Hey, could you please lay off for a bit, will you?"

"No, I need to find out what it was that made you suddenly get better like this!" Chopper exclaimed. He scuttled over to his medical table and began looking for certain medical instruments. This gave Zoro the chance to stand up and walk over to the door himself.

"Where are you going!?" the reindeer asked. "You can't go now! I'm not done with the examination!"

"...and I don't intend for you to finish," Zoro said, walking out unsteadily. Using the wall for support, he walked down the hallway of the hold all the way down to the far end. New morning light poured in from the portholes as he grabbed the handle to the galley and shakily opened it.

The scene he found was exactly how he imagined it would be. Luffy and Maon were grappling over food at one end of the table, every now and then Usopp taking an open opportunity to safely join in. Nami was ordering around Sanji like a dog while Robin, Yume and Gormal sat back and watched. With a smile on his face, Zoro cleared his throat, stopping the morning routine cold. Everyone other than Yume and Gormal glanced up at him with surprised eyes.

"How dare you guys start breakfast without me," Zoro scolded. He laughed a little before something tackled him out of the blue and would not let go.

"ZORO! You're alive!" Luffy cried happily, embracing the swordsman like a child would an elder brother. "We thought you were going to die!"

"Do I look dead?"

"Luffy, get off him," Sanji scowled, picking up Luffy by the back of his shirt and casually tossing him back towards his seat. Zoro looked up to see the cook staring down at him with a rather disgusted, but relieved look on his face. "Stop worrying us like that Marimo. Shit-swordsmen like you should know better than that."

"I never knew crap-cooks could be so thoughtful," Zoro teased as he stood up and walked over to his seat.

"Just this once, I'll forget you ever said that," Sanji said as he went to prepare Zoro's breakfast. The swordsman smiled amongst all the shocked stares and welcome backs he was getting. He glanced over towards Yume for a quick second and could have sworn he saw a relieved expression on her face. He shook it off and returned to the fawning attention of his nakama, forgetting it all until he was alone in the bright sunlight of midday.

_She smiled at me_, he thought angrily, picking up his weights. _She smiled. Why should she care!? Why should I care!? What in the hell is going on!?_

It was then that Zoro appreciated how distracting those weights-on-a-stick could be.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Yay! Zoro Woke Up!: After five chapters of being semi-comatose! Finally! -relieved- I hate writing arguments between Zoro and Yume. It is hard to keep character fluid and on track, particularly with OC dealings. Besides, I think I was depressed when I wrote this and the previous chapter.

Gormal's Prick-ness: Umm… he's sort of, protective, of his captain and easily turns into a jerk about it…? Please don't completely hate him! I'm working on it! I just can't help but to defend him because I know my plot devices.

* * *

Yeah... please review and in a week, have a splendid Armistice Day! I'm celebrating with some college American-rules football, roleplaying and the beginning of writing more of this fiction! Later!

* * *

Edits: a couple of words and a line of dialogue 


	11. Dread

Right then! So about that update on the thirteenth... I changed my mind. Everyone should know that if there is a fan who knows a character's birthday by heart, that she's going to post fanfiction on that day! I've also got a fanart up on if anyone's curious. Also, this update, there is a special, guest cameo appearance by a "character" of sorts from a certain roleplay I participate in. -grins- Just take a wild guess. Reviewer thanks go out to **_weixuan18_**-san, **_zenfry_**-kun, **_sanji-luver_**-chan and **_White Butterfly_**-san. May the Schwartz be with you all! Happy Armistice Day and Happy Birthday Zoro!

I do not own _One Piece_; I have given up on that fantasy and resigned to the life of a fiction-ka.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Dread_

"I see land ahead!" Gormal shouted down from the crow's nest. He looked around the ship in order to spot Nami. Sure enough, he found the ginger-haired woman spread out on a beach chair basking in the sun. "There's land ahead!"

"I heard you!" Nami shouted back, not even moving from her spot. "I happen to know that the island has appeared right on schedule!"

"An island?" Luffy piped up, rather excited. The crew had not seen an island in what felt like ages. Zoro's "illness" made everything go by in a slower, gloomier state and time had been no exception. The last week and a half had seemed more like a month's time.

"Yeah," Nami sighed, sitting up and removing the sunglasses that she had been wearing. "Rakuen is sort of like a pirate paradise. There are a more than just few of them dotting the Grand Line and frankly, we need to get to this island before moving on to the next so that the Log Post can reconfigure."

"Right," Luffy, said, not taking in a word after "pirate paradise". Nami grumbled and began to look for Chopper so that she could have him turn the rudder.

"Do you think that this 'Rakuen' place is going to be fun Gormal!?" Luffy called out towards the crow's nest."

"Sure thing!" Gormal replied, grinning widely. "I know that place well!"

"You've been to Rakuen before?"

"You bet on it!" Gormal grinned to himself as Luffy skipped off to find something to do before landing on shore, preferably an activity of the meat-eating kind. The tall man leaned back on the crow's nest and looked calmly out at the quickly approaching island.

_Now maybe I can get Yume-san off this ship,_ he thought to himself as a scowl came across his face. _Nothing could have been worse for her than backing out on the plan to kill Roronoa. Lately, she's been acting so strange..._

"Come on Gormal!" called out Nami's voice. Gormal looked down to the deck to see that the Mugiwara Kaizokudan were gathering in preparation for going to Rakuen. "Get down here so that we can draw straws over who gets to watch Luffy!"

"Alright Nami!" the deck hand shouted as he descended the ropes and landed on the deck. He went over to where Nami was standing with eight straws clenched in her fist.

"I don't pick because I watched him last time," Nami shuddered, recalling what it was like taking Luffy into a women's clothing store.

"Right then," everyone else seemed to mutter together. The remaining eight pirates each grasped onto a straw and waited patiently.

"Okay," Nami said. "One, two, DRAW!" She let go of the straws and everyone's hand yanked back. The one with the short straw ended up being...

"Thanks for volunteering Gormal, good man!" Maon said smugly, patting his nakama on the back. Gormal stared at his straw in disbelief, but quickly accepted what was to be his short-strawed fate.

"Hey Nami," Zoro piped up. "My straw's red at the bottom."

"You get to stay behind and watch the ship," the ginger-haired woman said with a flip of her hair.

"...but I need to get things in town!"

"What kind of things?"

"Things to clean my swords!" Zoro snapped.

"Send Yume. She knows swords."

"I am not sending her. She'll shop like a woman."

"...and what is that supposed to mean?" Yume scolded. "I happen to be a _swords_woman whether that brain of yours registers it or not. Now just tell me what exactly you need."

"Everything. I ran out of everything, okay?!"

"So then polish, cloth..."

"I should just get it myself..."

"What you two should be getting is a room," Sanji muttered.

"Care to say that a little louder next time, crap-cook?" Zoro growled, unsheathing the Wado and pointing it at the back of the blond's head. Sanji turned around and did not even flinch when he saw the blade slice the air while dangerously close to his face and maybe worse, his cigarette.

"You two fight like an old couple," Sanji spat. "It is an absolute disgrace."

"Well, at least I'm man enough to defend myself when a woman challenges me," Zoro hissed. "All you do is bow down to their every whim like a spineless coward..."

"That's it! You're staying on the ship for sure shit-swordsman!" Sanji rebutted quite loudly. "Come on Yume-chan! We're going to go into town and leave this jerk behind!" He pulled on Yume's arm and the young woman allowed herself to be carted off towards the other side of the deck.

"Fine then!" Zoro snarled. "I'll stay here. See if I care!" With that, he stomped off to brood in the crow's nest.

"Sanji? I think you can let go of my wrist now..." Yume said as soon as she saw Zoro retreat to the crow's nest.

"That idiot marimo..." Sanji grumbled, still in his angered monologue. "I swear! He has no idea about how to treat women!"

"Sanji...?"

"Yes Yume-chan?"

"Your hand is hurting my wrist."

Sanji blanched and looked down where he was grasping onto Yume's arm and quickly let go, revealing a slightly pink spot where his hand had been. His face, if possible, grew even paler.

"Oh, Yume-chan! I am so sorry!" Sanji gasped. He was hurting a woman! How horrific! How to repent? Would throwing himself into the sea do...?

"That's alright," Yume said, rubbing her wrist and smiling sweetly at Sanji. The blond cook immediately forgot all the horrific things from before and became servile again upon hearing the fateful cry of...

"Sanji! Get the boat ready to dock! Now!"

"Hai Nami-swan!" Sanji swooned as he went to go and mess with the rigging.

Yume smiled as she watched the chef follow orders that were being barked from the ginger-haired woman. They were a humorous pair to watch, that was for sure. Then her gaze was slowly drawn to the crow's nest. The man she saved. The one she fights with like an old couple. How odd.

**80808080808080808**

"See you later minna!" Yume shouted merrily as she scuttled off towards the marketplace. She left the side of her nakama quickly and disappeared into the crowd. The entire time into port, the deck hand had been giving her odd looks of disapproval and she was not about to find out what they were about any time soon. Gormal sighed heavily as he watched the rest of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan branch off in their own separate directions. Nami and Robin quickly followed Yume's example and disappeared into the bustling crowd. Usopp and Maon set out themselves, determined to find themselves some spiffy trinkets and supplies for the "Usopp Factory". Just out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sanji dragging off Chopper to carry groceries. That left only him and... the captain.

"Come on Gormal! Let's get something to eat!" Luffy cheered.

"We just ate lunch!" Gormal retorted, still irritated at his luck. His eyes began to wander around the wharf that they were standing in, glancing at some of the other ship names that were docked, trying to ignore Luffy.

_Let's see... "Luna Entourage"... "Vanderbilt's Rage"... "Kiiroi Yuki"...?! The hell...?! What kind of bilge rat of a pirate captain in their right mind would name their ship "yellow snow"?! That's not right...!_

"...but we need Second Lunch!" Luffy smiled as he spotted a tavern that seemed to be bursting with excitement. Gormal's eyes went wide as he looked at the name of the establishment that was emblazoned in bold letters across the front.

"Moireach Manor...?" he gulped, recognizing the name as that of another tavern he thought to be long in his past and in a different part of the world. The bronze-skinned man went a few shades paler as Luffy took him by the wrist and began to drag him in. The two men had just barely stepped onto the oaken flooring when a haggard voice cut through the air, sending chills up the backs of them both.

"Gormal!" the voice shrieked. Gormal ground his teeth together and shut his eyes tightly, attempting to wish the person away. He had no such luck in doing so, for he heard another call of his name and reluctantly accepted what was simply put as a fact.

"Hello Auntie Mordag," he groaned, gloomily glancing towards the sound of the voice. There stood his great-aunt, squat and roly-poly with the same dark skin and light hair color as her great-nephew, though hers showed the apparent usage of hair dye. She looked very stern as she tapped her foot and stared down her great-nephew with fiery eyes.

"Where have you been?!" Mordag snapped, making Gormal glad that there was too much noise in the tavern for most of the patrons to listen in. The stout woman marched up to Gormal and grabbed him by the ear and began to drag him off towards the back of the tavern.

"Hey Old Lady! What are you doing?" Luffy asked, refusing to let go of Gormal's wrist. "We've got some food to eat!" The old woman seemed to ignore the boy's protests as they quickly approached the bar.

"You're in for it now, you stupid jessie," laughed a young woman who was standing behind the bar as she saw Gormal being pulled along by his Auntie Mordag. She herself looked to be like a young, female version of Gormal, being a sight Sanji would not just consider lovely... but _heavenly_.

"Oh, why don't you can it Meadhbh," Gormal snapped. He made a face at the girl and she made a face back as she began to fill up some mugs with beer.

"Ooooh! Grog!" Luffy cheered, forgetting all about Gormal and chose to instead sit at the bar in hopes of being passed one of the filled mugs. The woman gave him a warm smile and filled up a mug with grog just for him.

"So, what brings you here, dragging my cousin in from who-knows-where?" she asked slyly. Luffy looked up from his grog and blushed, realizing that the barmaid before him was quite beautiful.

"Your cousin?" he gulped.

"Yeah, that poofter Gormal," she sighed, resting her elbows on the bar counter. "You must be the replacement for the one he ran off with, huh?"

"Umm... what are you talking about?" Luffy asked. "Gormal's my nakama."

"Then where's that anserine redhead that he disappeared with a few years back? Is he still around?"

"Oh! You mean Maon! He's out searching for parts with Usopp!" the boy-captain replied, completely oblivious to the possibilities of what the woman could be implying. Then, very suddenly, both Luffy and the barmaid could hear Gormal's great-aunt screaming at the top of her lungs.

"**YOU WORTHLESS GIT!**" she screamed. Not even a second passed before the deck hand flew out from the wall and went over the bar and into Luffy, who in turn crashed into an empty table. The old woman leapt out from the large gap in the wall, wielding a rather imposing war hammer in her grasp.

"Auntie Mordag!" Gormal whined as he tried to stand up in order to get off Luffy. Before he could go any further, his great-aunt halted his efforts with another blow from the hammer.

"**FOOLISH CHILD! JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER AND UNCLE, TAKING OFF WITHOUT BATTING AN EYE!**" she screamed. "**YOU SHOULD BE MORE LIKE YOUR COUSIN MEADHBH! _SHE _NEVER ABANDONED ME FOR AN APOTHECARY! YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO OUR FAMILY NAME!**"

"I never abandoned you for him!" Gormal shouted back, rolling off the rubber boy in pain. "I left because I wanted _freedom _from_ you_! I just happened to leave town with a friend! _You _listen to gossip too much!"

"No, _you _are just a worthless nipper!" Mordag went to swing the war hammer again when Gormal cut her off.

"What are you doing here in this part of the Grand Line?" he sneered. "I thought this place was owned by a man named Shannon..."

"It's my place now! So either you agree to stay here permanently or get out for good you poltroon pansy of a pirate!"

"Is there meat here!?" Luffy asked, popping up from underneath the mass of broken table that had accumulated on him. The old woman looked at Luffy with a sinisterly sweet smile.

"O' course dearie," she cooed. "All the meat you could eat in your entire life."

"Yaaay!" Luffy cheered. "Let's stay here Gormal! I'm captain and I say we stay!"

"N-No...oo...o..." Gormal moaned as he curled up on the ground. "I ran away from the bloody witch! I don't want to stay here!" He looked up to see Luffy already at the bar counter, inhaling rather copious amounts of meat and grog served by his smiling cousin.

"You are going to make up for five long years of lost labor," the old woman smiled devilishly as she stood over the figure of her grand-nephew. She threw a broom at his head and cackled as she exited the room. "Clean this mess up. Now."

"Yes ma'am," Gormal said out of habit. He stood up and began sweeping up the splintered wood that had once been part of the wall and a table. Silently, he cursed many things as the floor became tidy. His violent great-aunt, his smug cousin, the bribable Luffy and most importantly... the damned straws.

"I need a fag," he sighed heavily. He looked up to see his cousin smirking at him.

"A fag?"

"A cigarette."

"Sure you do."

"I'm not a bloody poofter, no matter what you witches say."

"Sure you aren't."

"For once in your life, can't you believe a word your elder cousin says?"

"No," Meadhbh smiled lightheartedly. She was going to have fun catching up on the years she went without her cousin to annoy.

"I never knew that you had family Gormal," Luffy smiled.

"Just because most of the crew has little to no family, does not mean that I started out alone as well," Gormal groaned as he lethargically swept the floor.

"So then," Meadhbh said as she put some more grog in front of Luffy. "Where is the rest of your crew? I do suppose that you have more, right?"

"They're around here somewhere," Luffy said. "I have two swordsfighters, a musician, a cook, a sniper, a navigator, a doctor, an arcie...arca..."

"Archaeologist," Gormal sighed.

"Yeah, one of those and Gormal's my deck hand!"

"Sounds like you have quite the crew. How long have you been around?"

"I dunno," Luffy wondered. "Hey Gormal, do you know?"

"I've been in your crew for only two months, don't ask me."

"Maybe Nami would know. NAAAMIIII!!!" Luffy then scuttled out of the tavern in search of the ginger-haired navigator.

"He's a cute kid," Meadhbh smirked as Luffy bounded out the door. She laughed as Gormal glared at her.

"Shut up."

"Never."

"I hate you all."

"...and I love you to, pansy."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Mordag: (MORE- dag) Her name means "sea warrior", which is fitting for such a fun character to write. I had this idea of Miss Merry Christmas crossed with Gimli from LOTR, toss in Gormal's looks and you get his great aunt. Lovely little visual really. I might make a drawing of it.

Meadhbh: (MEAV) -chuckles- "she who intoxicates" suits a barmaid well, don't you think? She's just non-dwarven and hot... something Sanji would drool over and then kick himself in the balls for because he got her wet with his spit. She comes around later. Trust me.

Gormal's Poofter-ness: Something Gormal's great-auntie came up with. He really isn't gay. It's just fun to poke at the fact that "fag" can mean a cigarette or a homosexual male depending on the usage, as well as a bundle of sticks. I have nothing against gays, for the record. Without them, there would be no shounen-ai and no silly Zoro/Sanji OOC shounen-ai comedy makes the Nehszriah a bored fangirl.

* * *

Edits: I think I changed something. Maybe. I forgot again.


	12. Contemplation

Yup... two more random roleplay appearances... in a row. Yeah... I really did feel empowered by the reviews that had been left last time! I thought that the entire chapter was very necessary comic relief, since what lies ahead isn't exactly happy and this is sort of a puffy filler chapter of utter plotline doomage. Reviewer thanks go out to **_zenfry_**-kun, **_Gothy Wolfie_**-san, **_White Butterfly_**-san and **_weixuan18_**-san.

I am not the lucky bastard who owns _One Piece_.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc:_ Contemplation_

Yume glanced around the market and walked along in contentment. There were various shops and taverns in the town, each one of them bustling with activity.

_This place seems quite similar to Jaya_, she thought, glancing in the window of an apothecary shop. _The only difference is that this place seems to be a bit more on the quiet side. No random fistfights involving the drunk..._

Suddenly, a door in front of Yume flew open and out tumbled a couple of drunkards in an unsteady grapple.

_I spoke too soon._

Sidestepping the fight, Yume found herself in front of a sword shop and smiled. She went in and began looking about, examining all the different blades that were kept there.

"Is there anything I can do you for?" asked an elderly man behind the counter.

"Yeah," Yume said, going up to the shopkeeper. "I need some materials for sword upkeep."

"...and for how many swords? Just for the one on your back?"

"No. I need four," she smiled. The old man disappeared into the back and came out with a set of four packages. He looked at Yume suspiciously and placed the packs on the countertop.

"You sure are stocking up," he sighed.

"Is this enough to cover it?" Yume asked, holding out some money. The man looked over the amount and took half.

"Take care," the man said, smiling at Yume. Her entire body shivered, the codger's smile having sent chills up her spine.

"Thanks," Yume said nervously. She walked out of the shop and kept her guard up. Carefully, she began to slink back to the _Merry Go_. She was almost at the wharf when almost simultaneously she was nearly run over by a girl about her age with a massive nosebleed and she also just barely missed being mauled by a grey-blond cat that seemed to understand when she called it a "bloody tabby cat".

After escaping the danger, Yume found herself back at the wharf and sighed out of relief that she had not been followed. She walked up the ship's gangplank and glanced around in search for any of the other crew members.

"Hey! Is anyone here? Zoro!?" she shouted, scanning the deck.

"I'm up here," came the moss-haired man's voice from the crow's nest. Yume fumbled up the ropes and climbed into the crow's nest atop the mast. There she found Zoro, glaring daggers at her.

"Got your stuff," she said, sitting down next to him and placing his things between them.

"Thanks," Zoro curtly snapped. He looked away from Yume and stared at the sky. There was an awkward silence as they sat; only broken by Yume's voice.

"I thought you would be training today."

"I don't feel like it."

"Any reason why?"

"Just leave me be."

"Fine," Yume sighed. She hopped down onto the rigging and went down to the deck. She looked back up at the crow's nest and shook her head. Unfortunately, she had looked away too quickly, having just missed a head of seafoam green pop up and glare at her as she walked away.

_Why her?_ Zoro thought as he sat back down and stared at the pack Yume had bought for him. The bundle was still and silent, clearly not a ruse or trick. He nudged it with his foot and scowled. Opening up the package, Zoro discovered that everything that he had been in want and need of for his swords was there. Yume had left nothing out.

_She actually did it right_, he whispered to himself. _What is her reason?_ Zoro looked over the railing of the crow's nest and spotted Yume over by the mikan trees, picking a few pieces of ripe fruit for Sanji when he returned. He could just make out the features on her face forming a slight frown as she turned to go into the galley. Zoro watched as she disappeared into the hold of the ship. Finally, with nothing else to do, he sighed and drew his swords and began to clean.

**80808080808080808**

"So here you two are! Sanji and I have been looking all over for you!" Nami snapped, barging into the nearly-empty Moireach Manor with a flourish. Luffy glanced up from his rack of meat and Gormal from wiping the bar counter to look at the livid woman as she stormed over towards them.

"Hiya Nami!" Luffy grinned. After about three seconds of searching for her earlier, Luffy had resigned himself to eating instead to pass the time. The navigator ignored her captain and glared evilly at the deck hand.

"We put you in charge of Luffy and you just disappeared! What is the matter with you!? We had to send Chopper back to the ship alone so that we could try to find you! Idiot!"

"…but I…" Gormal tried to say in defense.

"What in the hell did you break that is forcing you to have to work off the debt!?"

"…I…"

"Man Gormal!" Luffy exclaimed. "Your aunt really does know how to cook!"

"Aunt…?" Nami asked suspiciously. "Gormal, is there something you aren't telling us?"

"Well, you see…"

"Gormal! When did I ever tell you to stop working!?" shouted Mordag as she burst from the back room brandishing a frying pan. The stout woman stopped as soon as she saw Nami and smiled.

"Are you this man's aunt?" Nami demanded, pointing at Gormal.

"Aye. What is your problem with my poofter of a nephew?"

"I'm not a poofter!"

"Oh, shut up boy."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I need him back," Nami said frankly. "Luffy too. Now."

"Girl, where are your manners?" Mordag snapped. She hopped up onto a barstool, pointed at Gormal and sneered. "This miscreant owes me years of back work. Take the boy, but leave the poofter."

"Auntie Mordag!"

"You shut up boy! After running away from me, I'm going to make sure that you compensate me threefold for all the extra trouble I've had to have without you here! Do you realize how hard it is to move into the Grand Line without a man's strength!?"

"Something tells me that you did just fine," Gormal grumbled, stomping off to the end of the bar and walking into the main of the tavern. "I'm going with Nami and Luffy."

"Now listen here…" Mordag started, but she was cut off by Nami's hand gently touching her shoulder.

"Listen," Nami whispered in the old woman's ear. "How about if I take care of it for you? I can make sure he pays you back tenfold with the treasure he acquires at sea. You can be paid in gold."

"Gold…?"

"Yes, ma'am. Now how about it…?"

"Alright then!" Mordag exclaimed. She grabbed hold of the three pirates and shoved them out the door. "You three go off on your adventures! See you soon!"

"What the…?" Gormal gasped. "How did you get my auntie to comply? What did you say to her?"

"I just speak her language, that's all," Nami smiled. "Now come on boys, we've got to go find Sanji and tell him that I found you. The both of us have been looking for hours."

"You must have, the sun's almost set," Luffy observed.

"Hey Gormal!" shouted a voice. Gormal, Luffy and Nami spun around to see Meadhbh running up towards them with a small bundle in her hand. Once she within reach, she threw it at her cousin and laughed. "Keep in touch you idiot! I don't want the next time we hear from you be in another five years!"

"Sure thing Meadhbh!" Gormal laughed as he caught the bundle and smiled at Meadhbh. They both gave out a short laugh and turned around to go their separate ways.

"I thought you hated her," Luffy said as he began to follow Gormal.

"We're cousins and grew up together," the deck hand grinned. "We'll bicker like regular siblings, but will also look out for one another as well." He unwrapped the bundle and held up a Den Den Mushi in the fading sunlight. "See? She cares. I bet she saved up for months to get this."

"…and you're just taking it?"

"Yes Nami, because that's what we do."

"I don't get it."

"You're not supposed to."

"She's gonna have you check in, right?" Luffy asked, grinning at the Den Den in delight. "That way your aunt doesn't go ballistic!"

"Luffy's got it," Gormal chuckled. Nami rolled her eyes and looked around the market for Sanji. She found him, fawning over a pair of girls that were coming out of a shop. She grabbed him and dragged the chef by his collar all the way back to the ship. There she found Usopp and Maon walking up towards the _Merry Go _carrying boxes containing all sorts of mechanical trinkets.

"Have a fun time guys?" Maon asked cheerily. Gormal raised his eyebrow and glanced at the stout man.

"Explain the kind of 'fun' I was supposed to be having," he said, shaking his head. "Mordag and Meadhbh are here."

"They are?!" Maon gasped, clutching his chest for the sake of dramatics. "Thank the seas I didn't run into those two!"

"Scary people?" Usopp asked as they walked up the gangplank and onto the ship.

"My auntie and cousin," Gormal explained. He rubbed his left shoulder that was still sore from when he crashed into the table. "They're only frightening when they're wielding the war hammer."

"Ouch," Usopp chuckled. He and Maon then disappeared with the boxes of trinkets and Sanji retreated to the galley to leave Gormal to face a fierce scolding, compliments of Nami.

"Why did you let yourselves get into trouble!?" she lectured, wagging her pointer finger in disgust. "We could have been searching for you two for days! It would have put us off schedule! Can you imagine the treasure we would miss if we were off schedule by a day or two?!"

_I hate you_, Gormal thought, keeping his head bowed in shame. _You're going to turn into my auntie one of these days. Lonely and greedy without anyone there for you…_

"…and furthermore…"

"Hey Robin!" Luffy shouted, drowning out everyone else. He was hanging off the side of the ship and waving wildly. "What took you so long!?"

"Just doing some shopping," Robin said as she boarded the ship. She had with her a rather large stack of books that all seemed a bit more than slightly aged. "This port has an amazing amount of history in the archives. I might be able to use these."

"Sounds like fun!" Luffy grinned.

"Dinner!" shouted Yume. Everyone looked up to see her standing in front of the galley door, wearing Sanji's panda apron and smiling profusely.

"Yay! Food!" Luffy cheered. Usopp and Maon burst from the "Usopp Factory" and began running up to the galley, everyone else following in their path except Zoro, who still stayed in the crow's nest.

"I decided to cook today!" Yume said cheerily as the rest of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan filed in. The table was filled with beautiful dishes and several different kinds of meats, puddings and whatnot. Luffy and Maon were already competing in their thrice-a-day food contest and Usopp rescuing some food of his own out of the fray.

"This looks delicious Yume-chan!" Sanji swooned. Everyone sat down and grabbed some food for themselves. The happiness was only short-lived though, for as soon as some food went into their mouths, all attitude began to change.

_This is awful…_ Nami thought.

_Dreadful_… Gormal cringed.

_That's nasty!_ Usopp twitched.

_I think I'm gonna be sick_, Chopper panicked, rushing out of the galley to upheave the contents of his stomach. All but Sanji, Robin, Maon and Luffy left the galley in favor of the side of the ship.

"Is something wrong?" Yume asked, looking blankly at the door.

"We already ate in town," Robin lied, standing up calmly and walking towards the door. "I think something in town might not have agreed with them."

"Oh, okay then," Yume sighed, looking over at the storm of food that was Luffy and Maon. They were just about finished eating not only their food, but everyone else's as well.

"Dinner was lovely Yume-chan," Sanji said suavely, concealing the fact he fed his portion of dinner to the talking garbage disposals. He held out a plate of food and smiled. "Why don't you take this up to that thing in the crow's nest while I start on the dishes?"

"Ano… okay… are you sure…?"

"Of course," the chef said. He placed the plate in Yume's hands and gently guided her out the door. Just when he was sure she was out of earshot, he sent a kick into the skulls of Luffy and Maon.

"Hey! What was that for!?" Maon snapped.

"Don't eat that shit!" Sanji growled.

"…but Yume made it…" Luffy reasoned.

"I don't care if she made it or not, just don't eat any more or you'll be sick," Sanji sighed, gathering up the food. "Remember, it's the loveliest dish in the world until she's gone."

"…but I like Yume-san's cooking…" Maon admitted.

"This is why _I'm_ the chef," Sanji muttered, gathering up dishes and placing them in the sink.

"Hm, I wonder where Usopp went," Maon pondered, looking around the room for the sniper.

"Let's go find him!" Luffy said. Maon agreed and they disappeared out the door in a flash.

"Those two are going to eat themselves sick one of these days," Sanji muttered to the filthy dishes in the sink.

**80808080808080808**

"Zoro…" Yume called as she climbed up into the crow's nest with the swordsman's food. "You still there Zoro?" She was just at the top and about to climb in when Zoro poked his head out of the nest and right in Yume's face.

"What do you want!?" he growled angrily. Yume nearly dropped the plate out of surprise.

"Oh! You scared me!" she exclaimed. "I brought you your dinner." She climbed into the crow's nest and held out the plate. "I made it myself!"

"I'm not hungry," Zoro muttered.

"Please eat! Everyone else did!"

"I told you, I'm not hungry," Zoro growled. He glared at Yume as she placed the plate down on the floor of the crow's nest and sat down beside it.

"Well I'm not going to leave until you eat," she said firmly, folding her arms and nodding.

"Stop with the 'caring nakama' act."

"Why would I be acting?"

"You've tried to kill me twice."

"You still haven't let go of that?"

"I still don't trust you."

"…and I'm still not leaving unless that plate is empty."

"Will you shut up and leave if I eat?"

"Yes."

"Fine," Zoro grunted, sitting down by the plate and shoveling a forkful into his mouth. He did not even get to swallow a thing before he began gagging.

"What's wrong?" Yume asked.

"This is disgusting!" Zoro moaned as he spat the food out onto the plate. "What the hell!?"

"Hey, I made that, thank you!" Yume stood up briskly and stared down the swordsman.

"What?"

"You don't like my cooking?"

"I think it's horrible."

"Stupid ingrate!"

"Bitch backstabber!"

"You jerk-off _punk_! That _puny_ little brain of y…"

"GET OUT!" Zoro roared, standing up and drawing his cursed sword. His boot knocked the plate over and splattered the food all over the floor of the crow's nest, some even splashing on Yume herself. Zoro brought the sword tip right to her throat, exactly how Mihawk did in her dream.

"You really think that you can scare me?" she muttered.

"Get out."

"Fine." Yume hopped out onto the rigging and glided down to the deck.

"Did Zoro eat?" Maon asked, him and Luffy having not found Usopp and reverting to wandering around aimlessly.

"No," Yume smiled. "That's alright though. I think I might just lace his next meal."

"Lace his meal?" Luffy asked. "That wouldn't be very fun to eat…" He imagined a rack of meat with a frilly white skirt, sitting on a doily and grinned widely, clearly amused by the idea.

"No Luffy, not that kind of lace," Yume sighed. She saw that Luffy had a rather confused look upon his face and thus prepared for a long night of explanations and dodging answers.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I have none. Amazing, isn't it? All I can really say is my wishes for a happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers. Tomorrow we shall stuff ourselves silly and fall asleep on the couch watching American-rules football or cheesy Christmas specials or that freakin' "_Iron Giant_" film over the television. Well, except for me. I'll probably just sleep to begin with because I am just like that. No... wait... I have to animate something for school. Damn. Oh, to all those who are from Canada or overseas or whatever... I still wish you all well. Not fair that you get no cheer because of where you live.

* * *

Edits: Uh, five words, for the sake of editing.


	13. Scourge

It's so steamy in here! Argh! -bumps into desk- I can't see! -turns off space heater- That's better! You know, I'm getting this peculiar feeling that I might be accumulating some non-American reviewers. I mean, I'm not complaining in the slightest bit because you guys leave reviews, which is better than many apparently do... it was just something for thought or I'm getting my reviewers and fellow roleplayers mixed up. Even if I am going nuts, you lot still rock. Reviewer thanks go out to **_zenfry_**-kun, **_White Butterfly_**-san, **_weixuan18_**-san, **_shikyoxdeath_**-san for a review in _Artifice _and **_that random, nameless anonymous reviewer who kind of baffles me because there is no name_**. Please leave a name for me this time so that you are properly recognized. Thanks.

So with that, I do not own _One Piece _or any entity related to it other than my fanfictions.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc: _Scourge_

Time passed and the crew molded into routine again. Luffy played. Nami navigated. Sanji cooked. Zoro trained. Chopper experimented. Usopp invented, but it really was his own kind of experimentation. Gormal sulked. Robin studied. Maon would flit from assisting Usopp to playing with Luffy and finally Yume had nothing to do. She tried to train with Zoro, but he threatened her within an inch of her life every time she came near. Both Nami and Robin accepted having her hang around them, but Yume quickly tired of them. Usopp and Maon's inventing was too dangerous after some Climatact equipment blew up and Chopper was too absorbed in medical books to be of any company. Sanji was too doting for her taste and that only left Gormal, who was brooding up in the crow's nest. They stared at one another from opposite ends of the nest and stayed silent for the most part. Yume had almost fallen asleep out of boredom when Gormal spoke up.

"What has been with you lately?" he asked. "Are you planning to gain his trust again for a cleaner kill?"

"No," Yume yawned. "I'm not planning on killing Zoro."

"Not yet?"

"Not ever."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It's been irritating me too. Part of me says to carry out my job and another says that he cannot die just yet. I think his destiny is what we're supposed to prevent." She curled up her legs and hugged her knees.

"How would you know?"

"A hunch and a dream."

"I hate to admit it, but you do have the uncanny ability to foresee these things." Gormal looked over the nest wall and glared at the green haired man supporting boulders with his arms as a training ritual. "I remember that you said one time that you would not have the strength one of these days to carry out a mission all the way through, but I just wish it didn't have to be this one."

"Relax," Yume sighed. "Would you like me to try some happier predictions?"

"Sure, why not."

Yume took a deep breath and looked straight upwards at the blue sky. Concentrating on a passing cloud, she began to rattle off theories. A few she made up off the top of her head, but most were centered on notions she had silently collected.

"Our Maon-kun is going to be content; perfectly satisfied. Luffy will obtain his mentor's respect as an equal. Nami is going to find true love. Sanji will actually settle on one female instead of them all. Tony-kun will become wanted and unattainable. Many of Usopp's lies shall become reality. Robin shall keep her place with nakama." She took a deep breath and paused, letting Gormal talk.

"What about you, Zoro and myself?"

"I can never foresee anything for myself, you know that. Zoro is going to have a secret he doesn't even know about…"

"…and me?"

"You are destined to be with an angel from heaven," Yume smiled.

"Might that angel have a name?"

"Not unless I see her."

"That's right," the tall man laughed sadly. He looked up at Yume's face and sighed wistfully. "Are you sure the angel is not named '_Annette_'?"

"I'm sure," Yume said, keeping her eyes away from Gormal's. She stood up and stretched her arms, loosening up her locking muscles. "I think I have to go now."

"Yume-san…?" Gormal asked as the woman began to jump onto the rigging.

"Yes?" The deck hand took a deep breath and decided against it.

"… never mind," he said. Gormal punched the mast as soon as Yume disappeared from sight. It was only by Sanji's faithful cry of dinner did he even think about following his former captain back down to the deck.

**80808080808080808**

Zoro knew he was dreaming again. He was sitting on the outside porch of some sort of restaurant, two cups of coffee sitting before him on the table. There was a sheer drop off the balcony to a large gathering of pine trees that made their way for about half a mile before colliding with a sparkling lake. The landscape before him was something more out of a painting than real life, too picturesque to be real. A bird fluttered by as the sound of shoes came around the bend in the porch.

"There you are," giggled a voice. Zoro looked behind him to catch a glimpse of a woman walk by him with two plates of chocolate cake in hand. The plates were set down on the table and the adult Kuina sat across from the swordsman.

"So, why are you invading my dreams this time?" Zoro asked, eyeing the cake.

"Just because," Kuina chuckled, taking a bite of cake. She smiled as the swordsman went into a slight panic over not having his swords attached to his blue denim pants or that his haramaki sash failed to cover the midsection of either the neon orange t-shirt or brown jacket that he was wearing.

"You know, I hate not having all my stuff with me during my dreams," Zoro growled.

"Just relax," Kuina said sweetly, taking the cake that was on her fork and shoving it in Zoro's face, smearing a little bit of white frosting on his nose. Zoro stared at the frosting in a taken-aback manner and blushed.

"Don't do that!" he snarled, wiping the frosting off on his coat sleeve. He looked up at the woman across from him and watched as she giggled some more and ate the guilty piece of cake. The swordsman blinked and shook his head, swearing that he had been seeing things.

"Yume...?"

"You idiot, my name's Kuina," the raven-haired woman sighed. "You've been pining after me long enough that you should know my name."

"No, I thought I saw Yume instead of you," Zoro pondered. "Why is that?"

"It's finally ticking," Kuina said blandly, slightly pausing to take a sip of coffee. "You won't be able to control it soon."

"Control what?"

"You know... _desires_."

"There's the problem. I want to sort of kill that woman."

"Then do you know as to why do you keep on thinking about her?"

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do," Kuina said, placing the cup and saucer down gently. "How else could you have seen her face just now?"

"How did you...?"

"I know you are confused Zoro."

"Then why are you confusing me even more!?"

"Setting the stage." The woman sighed and took another sip of her coffee, smiling sweetly at Zoro. "To show you how fragile life actually is."

"I knew that the day you died," Zoro growled. "Don't think it didn't sink in then."

"Children see things much differently than adults do," Kuina answered. "Just wait." The sky around them rapidly became darker. "You will see."

"What will I see?"

"The prelude to another storm..."

"_Kuina...?_"

**80808080808080808**

"Good night minna!" Yume said as she climbed up the ropes to the crow's nest later that night. The others bade her goodnight and the swordswoman made her way up the mast in silence.

_Look at that sunset_, she thought, looking out over the horizon. Purple and orange clouds streaked across the crimson sky that surrounded the setting reddish sun. _It's so wonderful. 'Sailor's delight' they say. I think sunsets like this one are the delight of those taking first watch._ She finally climbed into the crow's nest and settled in so that she looked over the edge at the sun.

_I really am lucky_, Yume thought. _I have Maon-kun and Gormal-kun, Luffy and the others of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan… well, except for Zoro. Still, even though we don't get along, Zoro has made me rethink things. I know being an assassin was never what my parents wanted for me. _She felt her neck for the chain draped around it. Her fingers found the dainty chain and followed it down until she reached a ring hidden underneath her shirt. _Maman, Papa, Cousin, Petit Frère, I miss you all so much. Why did you all have to go? Why did all but Cousin have to…?_ She sighed and stopped her thoughts. Yume closed her eyes and began to relax, trying not to think too much. Just when she was comfortable, she heard a distinct slamming noise from down below.

"Huh? Who's there!?" she yelled out of reflex. Yume looked around on the deck to see that not only was no one there, but it was nighttime as well. The sun had long set and the air now carried a light chill.

"Is anyone down there?" she called out. Carefully, Yume gathered her center and descended the rigging down to the deck. She closed her eyes and listened intently for the sound of footsteps. She caught the soft sound of some from below in the hold. They were made by feet quite used to heavy boots, yet were relieved of the clunky footwear. Yume opened the door as discreetly as she could and slunk into the hold, in attempt to see how it was.

"Hello?" she said softly, her quiet voice becoming much louder due to the dead of the night. "Hello...?" she asked. "Is anyone up? I thought I heard a noise..."

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her and pulled Yume into the hall closet, shutting the door and covering her mouth before she could scream.

"What did you do with me, you witch!?" a voice hissed. Yume shoved away the hand, recognizing the voice.

"Zoro? What are you talking about?" Her eyes finished adjusting to the lack of light and she saw the faint outline of the swordsman towering over her.

"You bewitched me or something," Zoro spat, shoving Yume hard up against the cupboard wall. "What did you do?"

"Bewitch...?"

"Every time I look at you now I see someone who's long dead. I saw her when you nearly killed me. I see images of you in my dreams when I could have sworn they were her. In fact, I can see her now. I know I'm looking at you, but all I see is _**her**_. What in the hell are you doing to me?"

"I have no idea as to what you are talking about," Yume said, her voice quavering. "Zoro, what is going on?"

"I was hoping that you could tell me," the green-haired man snarled, bringing his nose only centimeters from hers. Yume's eyes grew wide with shock and she began to breathe raspily. "Now tell me, what stupid poison was it that you fed me this time?"

"It's... not... p-poison..." Yume breathed. She could feel his strong arm pinning her to the wall in fury, wanting an answer that very moment.

"Then what was it?"

"N-Nothing..." Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Speak up," Zoro snapped, shoving his arm harder into her. He could hear her breath quicken and squeak with difficulty as she gasped for air.

"I-I gave you nothing..." she managed to say. Her arms tried to pry off the thick band of muscle that held her in place, but Zoro was so enraged that he could have not been physically moved by anything.

"Then what did Maon give me!?" he snarled. "...or was it Gormal!? I can tell that he's protective of you. Tell me, what was it!?"

Yume was unsure about what to do. She saw the anger in Zoro's eyes; the released frustration that was not only targeted at her, but others as well.

_This is not good_, she thought, panicking internally. _What can I do?_ Then, a thought crossed her mind. _All I need to do is get him to freeze up long enough to get away and back to the crow's nest. I hope this works..._

Yume closed her eyes and prayed with all her might that her plan would work. She pushed Zoro's arm away as hard as she could and he tumbled over with the unexpected backlash, as she had planned. Yume, though, could not stop her own momentum and fell on top of Zoro, her forehead connecting solidly with his. When she tried to get up and make a run for it, the green-haired man grasped her forearm and jerked her back into place.

"Yume," he hissed. Panicking, Yume reverted to her second plan and kissed Zoro. She remembered how hastily he froze up when she had poisoned him and hoped that she could get the same reaction this time around. When he did freeze as before, Yume bolted out of the cupboard and out to the safety of the silent deck. Breathing heavily, she made her way back up to the crow's nest and readily collapsed out of shock.

_I have to get out of here_, she thought in a panic. _Land's not for another fortnight at least!_ Yume looked up at the stars as they faded into the dim twilight. _This job has gotten way too out of hand._

**80808080808080808**

"You were too rough with her," Kuina said as she and Zoro were sitting back at the picturesque restaurant, more cake and coffee at their disposal. "That was definitely something I wouldn't have done."

"She kissed me again," Zoro growled, slouching in his seat and ignoring the apparition sitting with him. "She wouldn't tell me anything and kissed me instead. What was that about?"

"Maybe she was just desperate to get away from you," Kuina said, almost snidely as she sipped some coffee. "You aren't exactly _tactful_."

"That coming from a product of my imagination, I don't think I should listen to that," Zoro scoffed. Suddenly, Kuina threw the coffee she was drinking in his face. The hot liquid scalded his skin and made him jump in surprise.

"I'm more than just something you made up!" she snapped angrily. "I'm here because you need guidance!"

"What do you mean by guidance?!" Zoro retorted. "I've been getting along fine without you there next to me holding my hand!"

"For your information, I have been there," Kuina said in a matter-of-factly tone. She took another bite of cake and scowled. "I have been there since the moment the Wado Ichimonji became yours and the reason you have gone this far is because of _your_ pure drive and _my_ direction. We are one person you _puny_ little _punk_, whether you like it or not."

"Maybe I don't want your 'guidance' anymore," Zoro scoffed, finishing wiping up the coffee from his jacket sleeves. He stood up and glared at Kuina acidly.

"You don't want to do that," she said blankly. "Cutting me off from your consciousness could prove costly."

"Shows what you know," the swordsman snarled. "I am going to get along without you for two whole days and nothing's going to happen! You hear me! Nothing is going to happen!"

"Suit yourself," Kuina shrugged. She too stood up and began to walk over towards the railing of the deck. Her frail frame phased through the wooden barrier and she dissipated into the scenery.

"Kuina…?" Zoro asked, bewildered at what just happened.

_I will stay away for two days_, her voice resounded throughout his ears. _After two days I shall return and we shall see if you are any better off than if I had been there._

"No! Wait!" Zoro shouted, running towards the rail. He did not pass right through like Kuina did and he slammed his body into the wooden railing. Cursing, he watched as the scene around him faded and melded into darkness. His inky surroundings then took on bleak splashes of color and form until Zoro saw that he was awake… and on the floor of the men's quarters of the _Merry Go._

"Damn," he cursed, rolling off his swords and staring up at the ceiling. He listened as patiently as he could to Luffy's snoring as it was less-than-subtly matched by Maon's. "I hate it when I dream."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Yume's Predictions: Will these become truths or stay as fiction within the fiction? Time will tell.

Zoro and Kuina's Restaurant: Real place, I swear. It's off US-2, overlooking Lake Michigan. Beautiful; like a painting really.

Angry Zoro: Yes, I know he's a bit OOC in that scene, but, while he shuts out Kuina, the man's gonna have his share of OOC moments because, well, Kuina's a part of him and when a part of a character is taken out of the picture, they get out of whack. -nods- Totally justified. I can withstand your flaming.

Ano...: As a little extra, have a good Sinter Klaas on the sixth... to anyone who might know what that means. Also, have a little respect on the seventh. Sixty-five years and counting.

* * *

**Side Story Alert**: There was a side story to _Illicit Memories _that I posted on 11.28 that I wanted everyone to know exists. Makino/Shanks, man. Sheer greatness. It's just a little supplement-dingus I want to do for story that doesn't really have too much to do with the direct dealings of Zoro for now. Yeah, I know I go off on tangents in here without him, but I never stray for very long. Makino/Shanks just screams storyline straying. -nod- It foreshadows too. Please read and review, if you get the time and all. There will be more of these side stories later, but for now, please read and review "_Life's Funny That Way_".

* * *

Edits: Some dialogue, puncuation and a bit of clearing-up on a sentence or two. 


	14. Arbitrary

Every year I feel compelled to blast heavy metal to drown out the sound of the Christmas songs everywhere I go. Maybe this time, I can try some _One Piece_ soundtracks... or Elton John and Rammstein. The ballad of Levon does the Nehszriah much good... like Franky/Robin. I do not own _One Piece_. Thanks to **_infamousxhunter_**-san, **_weixuan18_**-san, **_White Butterfly_**-san and **_sanji-luver_**-chan for reviewing, even though I wasn't exactly subtle in the last chapter.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc: _Arbitrary_

That morning seemed to be like any other. Breakfast came and went unceremoniously as usual. The Mugiwara Kaizokudan were settled into their places and things became mundane again as Yume climbed up the rigging to talk to Gormal.

"There you are," she panted as she fell into the crow's nest. "I need to talk to you."

"Did you get any sleep last night at all?" Gormal asked, raising his eyebrow. Yume righted herself, but it was apparent that she was suffering from fatigue. Her hair was all mussed and her eyes looked shot. "Were you on watch the entire night?"

"Yes, actually, I was," Yume said. "It was awful. Gormal-kun, we need off this ship."

"What do you think Maon and I have been trying to tell you this entire time?" Gormal sighed. "If you want to completely forsake the current job, we have to leave as soon as we can. Wasting time will just put us at risk."

"I discovered that last night," Yume yawned, curling up and turning Gormal's leg into a pillow. "We need off… now…"

"Yume-san, what happened last night?" Gormal asked worriedly. Yume was too lost in dreaming to answer coherently. "Yume-san…?" He sighed morosely as his captain drifted off into a dream and left him essentially alone in the crow's nest. Gently picking a strand of hair from her face, Gormal sighed at his former captain and looked out at the horizon.

_Why won't she tell me anything…? Yume-san…_

**80808080808080808**

It hurt to move. Zoro raised his arm and every muscle in the limb coursed with searing pain. He lay spread-eagle on the deck of the _Merry Go_, the desire to train completely dissipated. He stared up at the sky, completely silent and motionless. The other crew members took notice, all curious as to what had suddenly come over Zoro.

"I wonder what's up with him?" Usopp asked Maon and Nami as they sat at a table on the opposite side of the deck. The navigator simply shrugged and walked over to the swordsman.

"What are you doing?" she snarled, nudging Zoro in the side with her foot. The green-haired man simply muttered inaudibly and moved his gaze to that he stared at the sea.

"No luck?" Maon asked as Nami stormed back over to the table.

"Nothing, that idiot," Nami hissed. She picked up her cards and angrily clutched them. "That man's nothing but a stupid pile of testosterone waiting to meet my platform heels."

"Ouch, he's not that bad, is he?" Usopp asked. "I mean come on. We guys are just the way we are because that's how we came. We can't exactly help it."

"I know, but he makes me so mad sometimes!" Nami shuddered, placing down two cards and picking up two new ones from the deck. "He's acting so out of it today too!"

"Maybe he's sick?" Maon suggested. "The bloke has been out of commission a couple of times recently. Maybe it's not all gone?"

"I doubt that," Nami sneered, laying down her cards. Usopp and Maon both grunted out of frustration at the full house the navigator had and threw their cards down on the table.

"Not again!" Usopp groaned. "If this keeps up, I'm going to need to dip into my savings just to keep up!"

"I thought this was your savings," Nami noted. She looked over at Maon, who seemed to be staring wide-eyed and frightened at Usopp.

"Ano, Maon, what are you doing?" Usopp asked, noticing his nakama's stare. Maon went right on staring.

"Maon…" Nami said, waving her hand in front of Maon's face. "Hey, what are you staring at? Did you just finally figure out that was Usopp's nose or something?" She went over and looked in the direction that Maon was gazing off into and despite the sniper's flailing arms and protests, saw beyond him to what really was the problem.

"Oh my GOD! ZORO!" Nami screamed. Usopp stopped his fit and turned around, seeing that Zoro was standing on the edge of the railing, holding the Wado at his throat. His eyes were blank and downcast and his face expressionless.

"What's going on up here?" Gormal asked as he walked up the stairs, concentration his attention on the card table.

"Gormal, stop him!" Nami yelled, pointing at Zoro. The man's head snapped towards the swordsman and instincts took over. Gormal rushed over to the swordsman and he pulled him down and tried to pull the blade away from his neck, though Zoro's muscles would not budge.

"I'll help you!" Usopp declared, his knees shaking from fright.

"No! Get Sanji! Maon, help me too!" Gormal barked.

"Right," Maon nodded, quickly going into his satchel and pulling out a set of gloves. The musician put them on and grasped the blade of the Wado, pulling down on the edge.

"Usopp, NOW!" Nami screeched at the dumbstruck Usopp. The sniper shook his head and scuttled off to the galley, only to return a few seconds later with Sanji at his side.

"What the hell!? You shithead!" Sanji scoffed as he saw Zoro.

"Save the insults for later," Gormal said, his voice strained. "Right now, we need to worry about getting this bloke under control."

"Can't the two of you hold him back?" Sanji asked, walking over to the men half-casually. Without warning, he swung his leg high above and let his heel connect with the top of Zoro's skull, knocking him unconscious. The swordsman slumped to the ground perfectly fine, albeit the fact he still had a small trickle of blood running down his neck and was out cold.

"What in the hell was that?" Maon panted, holding the sword in his hands by the blade.

"A suicide attempt, isn't it obvious?" Sanji sneered, blowing smoke in Zoro's direction. He shook his head and sighed heavily. "Baka marimo."

"That's it?!" Nami snapped. "Is that all you have to say!?"

"Maybe it's all I have to say right now," Sanji said, now glaring evilly at the unconscious swordsman. "I think he has a lot more coming to him when he wakes up. I'll get Chopper to check out his neck." With that, Sanji walked off stoically, hands in his pockets and muttering under his breath.

"What kind of gloves are those Maon?" Usopp asked, wanting to get away from the scene. "You're holding the blade of the sword but you aren't hurt."

"Oh, there's just metal plates in these, as well as seastone," Maon said, looking nervously at his gloves. "If you want, I can show you them with detail…"

"YES!" Usopp interrupted, grabbing Maon by the arm and running off towards their workshop. This left Nami and Gormal alone on the deck with Zoro as the swordsman began to stir. He sat up and groaned, rubbing his neck where the slight cut was and then stared at the blood on his hand.

"You arse!" Gormal bellowed, picking up Zoro by the shirt and decking him across the face hard enough to make his nose spurt blood. "What in the hell did you think you were trying to do there!?"

"Ugh, what was that for!?" Zoro demanded, shoving Gormal away.

"You just tried to kill yourself!"

"I was just sleeping!"

"No you weren't!"

"Yes, I was! I was right there sleeping and all of a sudden, you punch me out of the blue!"

"There's blood on your neck!"

"From when you punched me!"

"Are you totally dense…!?"

"What's going on here!?" squeaked Chopper as forcefully as he could. Zoro and Gormal looked over to find that Sanji had indeed returned with the reindeer medic, but also Luffy, Robin and Yume as well.

"Nothing," Gormal grunted, stepping away from Zoro with a swift stride. The swordsman glared at him as he sat down and allowed Chopper to take a look at his neck.

"What happened?" Chopper asked as he brought out some disinfectant to clean the cut.

"I don't know," Zoro said. "I was sleeping."

"He blacked out and tried to kill himself, that's what," Nami snarled, walking right past them and over to Luffy and Robin. "He figured if the sea wouldn't kill him, his blade would."

"Zoro, that's awful," Yume said, placing her hand over her mouth in shock.

"It's unlike you Swordsman-san," Robin added. "We thought you were determined to face Mihawk once again."

"I am," Zoro said in defense. "Why would I kill myself?"

"I think that dense brain of his has finally snapped," Nami said, walking off with a huff. Robin hesitated for a moment, but followed Nami anyways.

"Zoro, what were you thinking?" Yume asked, coming over to where he was sitting and squatting down next to him. She looked over at Luffy, who was standing there silent, but then looked right into the swordsman's eyes. "Is what Nami said true?"

"I don't know!" Zoro snapped angrily. "I don't remember anything but sleeping and being punched by that asshole over there." He jerked his thumb in Gormal's direction and grimaced as Chopper applied some ointment that burned his wound.

"Hey, I saved your life," Gormal pointed out spitefully. "If I hadn't of shown up, you'd be paying Davy Jones a visit right now."

"I still don't believe it," Zoro said as Chopper finished.

"Zoro, that was a cut from a blade," the doctor said. "A knife or sword cut you very close to your windpipe. It may have just seemed like a scratch, but that could have killed you had it gone a millimeter further."

"I don't need lectures," Zoro huffed, standing up briskly and grabbing his swords from the deck. He then walked over towards the stairs and right past Luffy, who's eyes were blankly staring at the boards of the deck. He descended the stairs and went off below deck, out of everyone's sight.

"That ass," Sanji sneered as he watched Zoro close the door behind him, "completely lying about the whole thing… disgraceful."

"Luffy?" Yume asked, looking over at the captain. "Are you alright?" She went over and looked underneath Luffy's hat, trying to see his face. It was morose and she could see that his eyes were far from welling up.

"I don't believe it," the boy-captain said shakily. "I don't believe that Zoro would do something like that." He looked at Chopper forcefully, scaring the reindeer with the aura of his eyes. "Are you sure it was a blade?"

"Y-Y-Yes-s-s," Chopper stuttered. "It was definitely a slice wound, not one from an impact. Gormal couldn't have possibly done that with his fist."

Chopper paused to allow Luffy an opportunity to speak, but the captain did not. Instead, he lifted his head to show the confusion covering his face. He sniffled and looked hurt. Yume advanced to give him a hug, but Luffy spun on his heel and ran off to the other end of the ship.

"This time, that idiot's not forgiven," Sanji muttered through his cigarette. The chef began to wander back towards the galley coolly, grumbling obscenities under his breath.

"Ano… Sanji, can I help you with lunch?" Yume asked. The blond man smiled and looked at her.

"Sure, come along," he said. Yume followed closely behind Sanji as he walked into the galley and awaited patiently for orders. Sure enough, Sanji already had most of lunch ready and held out two of the plates for Yume to carry.

"Here you go Yume-chan," Sanji cooed. He looked at her holding the food and imagined her as a waitress or a French maid and swooned uncontrollably. Yume sighed and shook her head.

"Come on, let's just go," she said as she walked over towards the door. Holding the other eight plates, Sanji nearly skipped over to the door, coming dangerously close to dropping all of the food in the process. Yume opened the door and allowed Sanji to walk out before her.

"LOOK OUT!" Luffy laughed loudly. Sure enough, as soon as Sanji walked out the galley door, a giggling, rambunctious Luffy nearly ran into him, making him spin about in anger.

"LUFFY! WATCH WHERE Y…!" Sanji tried to yell, but suddenly, Zoro plowed into him, sending the plates flying out of his hands and onto the ground.

"Sorry Sanji!" Zoro called back, his voice dripping in laughter. He ran up the stairs after Luffy and tried to tackle the captain out of fun.

"I wonder what's up with him?" Yume asked, walking over to Sanji to help him up. Once she began to put down the plates, Sanji grasped onto the green one, stood up briskly and threw the contents over the side of the ship.

"I… hate… him…" Sanji fumed through clenched teeth. He stormed back into the kitchen and slammed the door behind him.

"Oh, my," Yume said. She looked at the grey plate still in her hand and the mess that was around it. She shrugged and took the plate up the stairs, going to investigate the giggling captain and first mate and leaving the food-based mess for a highly curious Usopp and Maon to discover.

When Yume reached the top of the stairs, she found one of the oddest sights ever to have been discovered: Zoro and Luffy were wrestling as if they were playful brothers, laughing and joking the whole while.

"Hey there Yume!" Luffy smiled as soon as he saw the swordswoman standing there eating the contents of her plate. He and Zoro stood up and rushed over to her, grinning profusely.

"Does Sanji have lunch ready yet?" Zoro asked with Luffy's level of enthusiasm. Yume raised her eyebrow and looked at the two men before her with suspicion.

"It was. Zoro ruined it all and I don't think he's getting lunch in the end," she said through a mouthful of food.

"Okay then!" Zoro said, immediately putting Luffy in a headlock and starting up another wrestling match. The two tumbled and laughed, rolling around the deck as fools. Yume watched as they laughed and played, Luffy being perfectly Luffy and Zoro being as un-Zoro as humanly possible.

Yume leaned on the railing and had just finished a helping of food when Nami came back up the stairs, wanting to know what the pounding on the boards was. She looked over at the Zoro-Luffy mess and stared.

"What on earth are they doing?" she asked. Looking over at Yume, she found that the swordswoman shrugged and just kept on eating.

"Zoro's mood is out of control," Yume said though the remainder of her lunch. She sighed and looked over at Nami and frowned. "Not even a half hour ago he was about to kill himself. Now he's acting like Luffy. Tony-kun needs to check out his brain or something."

"That's what I've been saying all along," Nami sighed. "Are you going to watch over him until I can get Chopper up here?"

"Sure." Yume put down her plate and sat down with her back to the ship railing and watched as Luffy and Zoro lay down on the deck spread-eagle, completely exhausted from horsing around. She paid attention as Zoro turned his head to talk to Luffy and laugh merrily, though their conversation was out of her hearing range. Soon, Nami returned with Chopper close behind her.

"Yume, Nami tells me that you want me to examine Zoro's brain, right?"

"We both want you to," Nami added.

"Yeah, do you think you could do that?" Yume asked the reindeer. Chopper nodded.

"I would have to do it at night though," he said.

"Why is that?" Yume asked.

"I'll tell you tonight," Chopper said. "Meet me after Nami's watch outside the guys' room, okay?"

"Right then," Nami said. She looked at Yume, who silently agreed.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Zoro: Yes, I know he was really cheesily written, but he is unstable... a fact that I have to convey. I mean, one wouldn't think suicidal could become cheesy, but he's virtually a pot of fondue here... I'm sorry, this wasn't very fun for me to write either. -sad-

* * *

Edits: I'm not changing anything in here unless someone tells me to. Even though it may be a little, erm, lame, I want to keep this chapter basically as is.


	15. Semblance

So, I just realized that last chapter wasn't totally in-character as far as Luffy was concerned. I wholeheartedly apologize and am ready to make a sacrifice to the fiction gods in repentance. Let me tell you, that freshman was difficult to wrangle! -wink- Today's chapter has a special guest-writer for a short portion of the story! Introducing Swatch Domino's Declaration of the Sandwich! Special reviewer thanks go out to **_weixuan18_**-san, _**sanji-luver**_-chan and **_zenfry_**-kun and his two reviews. Neither Swatch Domino nor I own _One Piece_.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc: _Semblance_

The sky had long before grown dark, the deep indigo of the sky opening a gateway to the stars above. Nami stood up and stretched from her spot in the crow's nest.

"Huh... I wonder when my watch is over," she yawned. Looking over the side of the nest, she saw Yume standing there on the deck. The navigator gave her a nod and descended to meet the swordswoman below.

"So, you ready?" Yume asked.

"Sure," Nami said deftly, a wan smile across her face. The two snuck down into the hold below and patiently waited for the five minutes it took for the ship doctor to appear.

"Well, I could not see anything wrong with Zoro's brain," Chopper said, coming out of the men's quarters and letting out a heavy sigh. He looked at Nami and Yume with concern and shook his head. The three stood in the dark hallway and allowed their nervousness to take control.

"Are you sure you were able to properly check it out with him sleeping?" Nami asked. "I mean, nothing was really going on in there, right?"

"It's best for me to check brain activity while he's asleep," Chopper explained. "It's not a very explored field of medicine yet and there's little written on the subject. Nothing is for certain."

"So you cannot explain his mood swings…?" Yume asked, raising her eyebrow slightly. "I mean, he could actually do something all of us would regret sooner or later if the problem is not fixed."

"I can say nothing for sure. This was going to be a vague diagnosis from the very start. Now it is just even worse." Chopper put his medical pack on his back and began to walk away to the storage room where he kept it at night.

"Well, that was a waste of time," Nami huffed. "What kind of stuff did Chopper do in there anyways?"

"I don't know," Yume said. "He didn't let us in, remember?"

"Yeah, but he might have told you."

"He tells me no more than he does you."

"Fine," Nami sighed as she turned to walk back to the girls' room. "This just means that we have to wait and find out what happens, eh?"

"I don't get you," Yume said blandly, shaking her head in an accepted form of confusion. Nami looked back and smirked at the raven-haired woman. As much as she would have hated to admit it, Yume had grown on her to the point of Nami being able to tolerate her. The two looked at one another for a few minutes until the early morning twilight caught their eyes. Squinting to see in the newfound light, the two began to head off towards bed to catch up on their lost sleep, yet were intercepted in the hallway by Sanji, who just walked out of the men's quarters.

"Nami-swan! Yume-chan!" the blond man cooed. "How lucky I am to catch you two beauties up at this hour!" His eye was the standard heart-shape and his legs the usual limp noodles as he skipped over to the two women with glee.

"Hello there Sanji-kun," Nami sighed. She gave him a wink and a smile, causing the man to swoon. "Why don't we go into the kitchen and get us some breakfast, what do you say?"

"Hai Nami-swaaaan!" Sanji waltzed over to the galley door and opened it graciously, allowing Nami to enter first. "Yume-chan, don't you wish to come and dine with us?"

"Huh…?" Yume muttered, having lost herself in thought. She looked over at Sanji and once she saw him holding open the door, she shook her head. "Not now Sanji. I need to go out and get some air for a moment."

"Just take your time!" Sanji said sweetly, sauntering through the galley door himself to go wait on Nami. Yume sighed and walked out to the cool deck.

_This is all very strange_, she thought. _Hm. I wonder if this is an after-effect of the double dose of poisoning I gave him a while back. We've never had any tests with a revived double dose before._ She went and leaned up against the outside wall of the galley and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath of sea air. Chuckling slightly at the sound of Luffy and the other men shuffling out of their room for a pre-breakfast romp around the ship, Yume tried to let go of all thought and relax. This was, however, a failed plan, for the team of Luffy, Maon, Usopp and Chopper ran past her, accidentally knocking her on her side. Yume opened her eyes and saw Gormal standing in front of her, offering to giver her a helping hand to get up.

"What are you doing out here so early?" Gormal asked as he helped Yume to her feet. The raven-haired woman laughed slightly and took a giant step back, just in time for the four running fools from before to pass right between them.

"Just relaxing before they came around," Yume laughed once the others passed. Gormal leaned against the wall next to her and gave a slight chortle as their nakama completed another lap of the ship.

"If only it were just the two of us up and about, eh?" he asked, looking up at the painted morning sky. Gormal glanced over towards Yume, who was staring morosely at the sea. "What's wrong Yume-san?"

"Nothing," she replied softly, taking her weight off the wall and walking off towards the galley. She opened the door and before she could step into the doorway, Luffy and Maon both bolted past her, having smelled Sanji's cooking during their run. Chopper and Usopp stood outside the door, slightly shocked at how quickly the other two's stomachs turned to food. Yume allowed them in before her and then the true feeding frenzy began, one end of the table having food flying in every which direction it could. Yume decided to sit in between Gormal and Zoro at the other end of the table, liking the fact that there, she could eat without getting egg yolk splattered on her face.

"There you are Yume-chan," Sanji said suavely, placing a plate of food in front of Yume. "I was beginning to think that you might not have been hungry."

"No, you don't have to worry about me," Yume smiled nervously as Sanji went off to go refill Nami's juice glass.

"Baka shit-cook," Zoro growled into his food. "He should stop flirting with everything and anything that could he could possibly give head."

"Well, you seem a lot more like yourself today Swordsman-san," Robin noted. Yume snorted into her tea and Gormal froze in his place, eye twitching and porridge spoon only centimeters from his mouth.

"You're disgusting," Nami frowned.

"Well, it's true," Zoro scowled. He quickly cleared his plate and walked out the door to go train.

"That… was just wrong," Gormal moaned, putting down his spoon into his bowl. He looked over at Yume, who was still recovering from her giggling fit. "How can you laugh at that!? That man's vulgar!"

"I can't help it," Yume snickered, finally able to stop her laughter. She took a bite of her raspberry pastry and chuckled at Gormal, who's face was a priceless grimace of disgust and shock.

"Well, at least we know he's honest," Robin said, trying to look on the lighter side.

"Robin, being honest and being blunt are two completely separate things," Nami said, taking her juice from Sanji with a false smile. "I agree with Gormal. That man is a crude simpleton."

"Which is what I have been saying all along," Sanji cut in, placing some more toast on the table. "Just ignore the marimo for a while. If he says anything crude again, I'll personally kick his ass."

"…and I'll tie him to the anchor for when he lands in the sea," Gormal offered, shaking his head and going back to eating. Sanji was just about to respond when he was interrupted by a certain redheaded musician at the end of the table.

"Sanji! We're still hungry!" Maon announced.

"I'm coming!" Sanji snapped. He stormed off, muttering obscenities under his breath and leaving the rest of the crew to their own devices, which mainly involved leaving the table.

**80808080808080808**

Unfortunately for the Mugiwara Kaizokudan, the rest of the morning after breakfast passed slowly, mostly time passing at snail's pace. By the time Sanji came out of the galley to call everyone to lunch, he found most of the crew huddled in the middle of the ship, bored out of their minds.

"Ano… lunch is ready…" the blond man said. Luffy perked up and ran to the galley door.

"Yay!" he squealed. "Meat! I want some meat Sanji!"

"Don't worry, I made you some," Sanji sighed. He watched as most of the male crew members filed into the galley, but was lacking Zoro and the girls. He flicked some of the ash off his cigarette and called up to Zoro. "Oi! Marimo! Go get the girls for me, will you!?"

"Sure," he heard Zoro say, the sound of his weights dropping on the deck resounding through the air. Sanji shrugged and went back inside the galley, ready to fight Luffy, and potentially Maon, off everyone else's food.

"Stupid Sanji," Zoro growled, looking around for the girls. "Can't he get them himself?" He walked over to the miniature mikan grove and found Nami, Robin and Yume sitting there, talking quietly amongst themselves. As soon as the green-haired man appeared, they stopped and stared at him.

"Yes…?" Nami asked, wanting to know why Zoro was staring at them. Zoro did not answer, but instead stared at the three women, his nose beginning to slightly trickle blood.

"I think his brain overloaded," Yume joked, standing up from her spot on the floor and poking Zoro in the arm. "You can see the steam just spilling from his ears as we speak."

"Why brain has not overloaded fair maiden," Zoro said suddenly, giving Yume a suave smile and completing half a bowing motion. "I was just instructed to inform you four lovely ladies that it is time to partake in lunch."

"Where did that come from…?" Nami asked in shock. "…and since when is there four of us?"

"Why, I thought always," Zoro said, sounding slightly shocked. He looked at the irritated Nami, amused Robin and a highly stunned Yume individually and then over towards one of the mikan plants, expecting there to be someone there. "Hm. I guess she is not hungry."

"Who's not hungry Swordsman-san?" Robin asked.

"Our lovely nakama over there," the green-haired man said, motioning over towards the bush. Robin snickered slightly and began to walk over towards the stairs.

"Maybe I was wrong earlier at breakfast," she said. "It seems like Swordsman-san is not himself today after all." Robin then descended the stairs and left Nami and Yume to gape at Zoro in wonder as he began to talk to the air.

"Come on now, you know it's not like that," Zoro tried to convince someone. The two remaining girls slowly began to creep towards the staircase, wanting to escape from the presence of the out-of-whack swordsman. "Yes, I know what our agreement was. Why do you think I have your… what…?! Of course I lo… can we please discuss this away from my crewmates?"

"Zoro…?" Yume piped up cautiously. "No one's there."

"Of course there is!" Zoro said. "Can't you see her? She's almost as tall as me!"

"We don't see anything but a tree," Nami said.

"Don't you see!? Dark eyes, pale skin, black hair… she's got black hair like Yume! Can't you two see her?"

"No Zoro," Nami said slowly. "No one's there. There is no girl standing there; only a mikan plant."

"How can you say that…?" Zoro asked, a shocked expression on his face. "Look, now you've upset her. Wait, hold up! She didn't mean it!" Zoro began to run off towards where the imaginary woman had stormed off to, apologetically trying to make excuses for the other three women.

"Maybe Tony-kun wasn't thorough enough," Yume said, watching Zoro suspiciously with Nami at her side.

"Maybe Zoro just finally lost it," Nami suggested. Yume nodded her head and began to walk down the stairs to the galley. Nami followed and it being just their luck, the door to the galley flew open before they could get to it and Sanji popped out swooning.

"Nami-swan! Yume-chan!" he cried. "I was getting worried when only Robin-chwan arrived for lunch!"

"Don't worry about it," Yume said, smiling nervously. She walked into the galley and discovered that Gormal had been guarding her food closely, not allowing either Luffy or Maon to accidentally take any in their usual eating frenzy. Gormal, however, also felt the pangs of hunger him like a slippery fish. The more he considered his disposition; he began to gather an elaborate excuse for eating Yume's sandwich, despite his fierce loyalty to the woman. This plan was called, the Declaration of the Sandwich.

Gormal's plan was to eat the sandwich, and institute a trade system, whereas every time he would eat one of her sandwiches, he would owe her an extra sandwich. This plan, while simple in principle, would not be easy to sell. That's where the cattle prod came in.

"What are you doing going after my sandwich...?" Yume snarled, poking Gormal in the side with said prod. Gormal snatched the metal stick from his captain and in return, prodded her behind the knee. Yume squeaked and jumped back, that particular spot being particularly sensitive to surprise attacks. Gormal shoved a plate out from under his grasp and allowed Yume to take it, only for it to be a pile of fermented soybeans.

"Happy eating," Gormal grinned as Yume tried to sputter out a reply.

"Natto! GROSS!" Yume cringed. Her eyes became cold and steely. Gormal stood and began running towards the door, recognizing the face as one he should fear. He opened the door and ducked as Yume tried throwing the plate of the fermented beans at his head. The plate whizzed over Gormal's hair, just barely missing the very top of his hair, and smacking Zoro right in the face. The green-haired man stood there, bean dripping down his person and his arm extended as if to open the galley door.

"Ha! You look good baka-marimo!" Sanji laughed. Gormal stood up straight and looked from the still angered Yume to the bean-festooned Zoro. Fearing the worst for his personal well-being, the deck hand slipped out the door and bolted for the crow's nest. Zoro he could handle, but add Yume to the fray and it was a whole different story.

"Zoro…!" Yume gasped once she realized that she missed her target. She looked at Zoro, who was in the process of removing the bean from his face. He looked at the rest of the pirates in the galley and saw that even Luffy and Maon had stopped to watch, which gave Usopp the opportunity to begin raiding what the two had yet to eat.

"Yes...?" Zoro asked walking in and spreading the bean waste across the floor with each step he took. He looked at Yume with a kind smile, something not normally found on his face. Before Yume could reply however Zoro gave her a confused look, shook his head violently and then squinted at her, as if trying to see if it was really Yume and not an imposter. He then looked around the room, scratched his head in confusion, cringed at the beans in his hair and stormed out with some filthy muttering trailing behind him.

"That… was strange…" Nami said as the door slammed behind the swordsman.

"It is Swordsman-san after all," Robin sighed, continuing eating her own food. It took about three more seconds for Luffy and Maon to realize that their own food was getting cold and they began to dig in again, as if the episode had not happened.

Out of everyone else's line of vision however, Zoro kicked the rear mast and leaned up against it in disgust. She was dead and he knew it. There was no way he was acting like she was alive again.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Zoro's Imaginary Girlfriend: Take a wild guess. You should be able to figure this one out.

Declaration of the Sandwich: What happens when one leaves a school computer lay idle while a fanfiction is being worked on and a highly comedic writer is nearby. Slippery fish and cattle prods man. Welcome to Funkytown, population, the Eggmobile.

Natto: Fermented soybeans. Ickies. It was the reason why Arakawa Hiromu-san drew Pinako from Fullmetal Alchemist the way she did. -eyes shift- So what if I know that...?

Next Chapter: You all are going to hate me, I know it. -whimpers- Please don't take the next chapter or two out against me. -nervous laughter- Nuts.

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Edits: A letter. Like the previous chapter, I want to keep this one as untouched as possible. Any typos being pointed out will be fixed.


	16. Discrepency

Okay, here's the bad part, coming up. This chapter, part of next and then that's it... I swear! At least, for a long time. Thank you bunches in advance for putting up with me, this part of the story (which I wrote quite a while ago already) and the OOC Zoro who has really been OOC for too long. You do have to admit though, him as an OOC character can be amusing at times, just not this one. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer Thanks go out to **_Sanji-luver_**-chan, **_White Butterfly_**-san, **_Sakura_**-chan and **_Groggy_**-san. (New reviewers! Joy! -revel fire-)

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc: _Discrepancy_

A few hours passed after the Lunch Incident, as it was then called, and all seemed to have gone back to normal. Well, almost normal. Zoro had not been seen by anyone since he walked out of the galley covered in natto and swore up a storm. It was only as a certain hat-wearing animal conducted some late-afternoon experiments did the marimo man made an appearance.

"Chopper," Zoro growled as he barged in on the reindeer as he worked in the hall closet. Chopper jumped slightly and almost lost grip of the vial he was holding, but breathed a sigh of relief when he only saw that it was Zoro.

"Don't scare me like that, bastard!" he snapped. Zoro gave him a glare that immediately took all other words from Chopper's mouth.

"I have a headache," Zoro stated. "My head hurts like a bitch and I am seeing things. Cure me."

"I'm afraid it might not be as simple as that," Chopper said, setting the vial down next to his medical set. "Sit down."

Zoro sat down as ordered and shifted in his place uncomfortably. The wooden floor and walls were stiff, not to mention the fact that the cupboard they were in was incredibly small. There would have been barely enough room for two people, let alone Zoro, Chopper and all of their effects.

"What kind of things are you seeing?" Chopper asked.

"People, places… I just spent the last hour in the storeroom thinking I was training back at my dojo with people I know are not there. I believed every last second of it until I hit my head on a crate." Zoro scowled in discontent, watching as Chopper nodded in a decision.

"You're just homesick," Chopper replied. "We all have been at sea for too long. We should probably stay at the next island for an extra long time. Nami says that it's coming in about three or four days."

"How do you know I'm homesick?"

"To be honest, I feel a little homesick myself. I look at the stars at night and see the _sakura yuki _that Kureha-sensei made. I read that homesickness while on the sea can be eased by an extended stay on land."

"So you still see that pink snow stuff?" Zoro asked, a laugh concealed in his voice. "Well, at least you only see that."

"I guess," Chopper agreed. "Zoro, you miss the people you left behind, right?"

"Of course I do, but I'm not going to cry over it," the swordsman scoffed. "You miss the people on your island, don't you?"

"Yeah," Chopper sighed morosely.

"Buck up then and give me something to make my headache go away," Zoro grunted. Chopper looked at him with watery eyes and sniffled.

"I can only give you some aspirin," he said, taking some pills from a small container in his medical kit. He gave two of them to Zoro and shivered as he tried to hold back tears. "Just take these and go to bed. You'll feel better when you wake up."

"Sure," Zoro said as he threw back the aspirin and swallowed the pills without water. He stood up and forced himself out of the closet, despite the fact his swords nearly did not fit. Muttering a curt thank you, he shuffled off towards the men's quarters and collapsed into his hammock, ready to sleep the pain away.

**8080808080808080**

Everyone was quiet as dinner went under way. Even Luffy and Maon seemed quieter in their feasting habits. Sanji did not even wait for Zoro to show up, choosing to instead begin serving the evening's meal without him.

"Shouldn't we wait for Zoro?" Usopp asked as Sanji put down his plate before him.

"I don't care," Sanji spat through his cigarette. "Baka-marimo's been acting strange lately. It doesn't matter to me if he doesn't come to meals for three days."

"You sound concerned to me if you've been counting," Gormal muttered through his stew. Sanji threw him a disgusted look before serving out some more food.

"I gave Zoro some medicine earlier for a headache and told him to go take a nap," Chopper piped up.

"Well, we never doubted the fact he was sleeping," Nami sighed. "That man, I swear. The only things he ever does besides sleeping is training and drinking. It's like he's born to do those things exclusively."

"Maybe it would be for the best that we leave Swordsman-san alone," Robin suggested.

"...'cause he's a complete loony?" Gormal asked.

"No, so that he can get back to himself," Robin sighed.

"He hasn't been himself for a while lately," Yume mentioned. "After he fell sick that one time, he's just been acting strange."

"Yume's right," Usopp said. "Zoro has not had a normal day since then."

"Maybe it will be for the better," Sanji said as he sat down with his own plate of food. "Who knows? Maybe the Marimo that comes out in the end won't be so much of an idiot."

"I doubt," Nami butted in. "You of all people should know that Zoro's definitely not going to change, even if he has gone crazy."

"Can you go crazy at his age?" Gormal asked. "I thought it was only old people who lose it like that."

"I don't know," Chopper mused. "Usually only highly traumatic events trigger such brain activity in people so young. Mostly one has to be old to go insane naturally."

"Wait... didn't you say that the brain hasn't exactly been researched throughly to make definitive diagnoses yet?" Yume inquired. The rest of the crew that had been paying attention to the conversation had to do a double take.

"Since when did he tell you that?" Usopp asked.

"This morning," Nami answered. "He told me too, right?"

"Yeah. Nothing special," Yume shrugged.

"Oh Yume-chwan! Nami-swan! You two are so smart!" Sanji swooned. The rest of the men rolled their eyes as Sanji became heart-eyed and weak-kneed, instantly fawning on the two women. Robin began to chuckle slightly, finally getting a chance to just sit back and watch Sanji without being the immediate object of his affections. Things went this way until Sanji was hit in the head with a chicken bone, Maon and Luffy demanding more to eat.

It was with that did the blond chef began tripping along another tirade about being unappreciated and overworked which directly resulted in Luffy, Maon and Usopp doing the dishes. Usopp had no idea as to why he had to do dishes, but when Sanji's cigarette burns all the way down to the filter in only two seconds, he found it best not to ask too many questions. Not only were his kicks lethal, but whilst brandishing a frying griddle, one did not want to annoy him in the slightest.

**80808080808080808**

Zoro woke up slowly and glanced around the darkened room with his head still pounding. The other occupants of the area were fast asleep, snoring and dreaming soundly as he sat up and held his face in his hands and shivered.

_Damn it all_, he thought silently. _I must have slept through dinner. Bastards didn't even bother to wake me up._

The green-haired man sighed as he rested his elbows on his knees and took in the environment of the ship. He could hear the creaking of the boards and the lapping of the waves against the hull of the ship. The salt from the air was less obvious since he was in a cabin, but there was just enough for him to know it was there. The soft rocking motion of the _Merry Go_ riding the miniature waves was just enough to rock the rest of the male pirates into slumber, reminiscent of children after a long day's worth of play. Being rocked back and forth, however, was making Zoro feel dizzy.

_I need to take a walk_, Zoro groaned. He stood up and stretched lethargically. Zoro felt a sore throb in his side from where he had laid on his swords and decided to take them off, for it was nighttime after all. After shaking off the sleep, he walked out the door and into the hall. Looking down the hallway, he could see that there was someone else in the hallway on the other side, right by the entrance to the kitchen. His heart skipped a beat as soon as her familiar voice rang in his ears.

"Zoro...?"

"Kuina... is that really you...?" Zoro whispered, rushing up to the woman with light feet. The swordsman blinked heavily and stared at her face. It was the adult Kuina from his dreams, standing before him in a plain lavender nightgown. He touched her lightly on the arm and laughed slightly. "It really is... or I'm dreaming..."

"Zoro, I..." Kuina started. Zoro placed his finger on her lips and she kept silent.

"You don't need to say anything," he said softly, drawing her close and embracing her. "Kuina, please come back. I'm sorry. I nearly killed myself without you there... I..."

"Don't worry, I'm sure everyone will forgive you," Kuina said hesitantly. "It was not your fault…"

"Please, I haven't been the same," Zoro said. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, absorbing the sakura blossoms and fresh air that he thought her hair smelled of. "You were right the whole time. Just come back."

Kuina paused for a moment and sighed heavily. She wrapped her arms shakily around the swordsman and closed her eyes with a slight grimace.

"Sure Zoro. I'll come back."

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

A chill went down Yume's spine as Zoro began to gingerly kiss her neck, completely put out of reality's grasp. She could feel the swordsman's strong hands wrap around her shoulder and waist, holding her soundly in place. Her breath began to quicken as she let her thoughts run wild.

_What is he doing? _she wondered. _I thought that if I played along for long enough, he would let me go. Who in the hell is this Kuina girl?_ She began to back away, but Zoro allowed her to lead him along. Soon, Yume was up against the wall and Zoro still held her, his hand beginning to shift towards more inappropriate places.

"What do you think you are doing?" Yume snapped, pushing the green-haired man's face away from her shoulder. Dark eyes gazed into her's, the night they first met flashing before Yume.

"I love you Kuina," Zoro said, pressing her into the wall. "I never figured it out back then, but now I know. Please just let me do this before I wake up or something." Before Yume could respond, Zoro brought his lips to hers and began to lovingly kiss her.

_Holy..._! Yume panicked, freezing on the spot. _He must be dreaming I'm his old girlfriend! If I had my sword on me I'd teach him a thing or two! Even one of his would do… _A few seconds passed and she found it was impossible to stay frozen. She began to kiss Zoro back half-heartedly, wanting the swordsman to snap out of it. All she had wanted was a bite to eat from the kitchen and now Zoro's tongue was halfway down her throat. Not exactly what her version of a midnight snack consisted of.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Coming up to breathe, Zoro looked down at Kuina's face and saw that she seemed to be unhappy. He brought his hand up and gingerly brushed some of the stray hair from her face and tried to smile sweetly as he could, which ended up becoming half scowl.

"What's the matter?" he asked. Kuina did not answer and instead looked away. "Tell me what is the matter..."

"Why...?" Kuina asked, her voice just barely audible. "Why do you want to do this?"

"...because I want you," Zoro whispered into her ear. "Never could I have dreamed of wanting you like this when we were younger. Everything just falls into perspective now..."

"Does that puny brain of yours even know what 'perspective' means...?" Kuina half-laughed. Zoro chuckled slightly and nuzzled into the crook of her neck again.

"You know how much I've grown over these eight years," he murmured. "I'm not that stupid little runt you used to defeat in one blow." Zoro breathed in her scent again, not even detecting the salt from the sea. He began to kiss her again, wanting to taste her even more. His senses became blurred as he unwittingly let animal instinct take over and every conscious thought turned itself off. A dark swirl overcame his memory as he began to black out, his eyes glazing over and becoming blank pools of delirium. He was lost to nothingness, not responsible for his actions from that point forward.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

_I have to do something, and fast_, Yume panicked as Zoro paused for a moment in his advancement. She ran her hand against the wall behind her, searching for something she could possibly use. To her dismay, there was only the doorknob to the storage closet Zoro had threatened her in a few days before. She began to shift her weight over towards the door in hope of being able to open it and use the gap in the wall to throw off the swordsman's balance and escape.

"Kuina," Zoro pleaded. "Don't go; not yet."

"I have to Zoro," Yume said, moving closer to the closet. She quietly opened the door and Zoro was too lost in his hallucination to notice.

"Not now," he whispered as his embrace became more intimate. Yume cringed and felt her shoulder slip into the crack between the door and its frame. She leaned into it and let herself fall into the cupboard, crashing into a shelf and landing hard on the floor. To her dismay, Zoro came down with her, making the situation all the more unwanted.

_Now someone had to have heard that_, Yume thought. She waited for the footsteps to come, yet they did not. Zoro sat up to take off his shirt when something sharp stung Yume's nose. Her eyes immediately welled up with tears at the presence of the odor that quickly became too strong for her to fight.

_What the...?!_ she though, snapping her gaze to the right. There was one of Chopper's medicine bottles smashed on the ground, a slight misty vapor coming up from the liquid that was once contained in it. _Crap! Tony-kun must not have cleaned up all of his medical supplies from the closet today!_ Yume panicked as she began to feel her throat close up. Her eyelids started to become droopy and her consciousness was overtaken by the gas. She never figured, but it took longer for Zoro to succumb to the fumes due to the size of his own body, though when he did, nothing would have mattered.

It was done. Nothing could be reversed.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Now, before you all start yelling (as I know at least one of you will do), I need to explain a bit as to WHY the above happened. Originally, in the days of its initial creation, Illicit Memories only had one original character: Yume. Only her, no Gormal or Maon. This posed as a problem, for she had to fall in love with Zoro and he with her, thus something similar to above scene takes place. That involved a crap plot that was so thin and flimsy that a kitten could destroy it and a weaker transition into the future stuff than what is coming up. It was all horrible, Mary-Sure-ish and so OOC that it was near beyond reason or repair. Thus the story sat in wait on my hard drive for months before I looked at it one day and fixed it. Now the story is at least tenfold longer, better and stronger with new characters, longer transitions and what bouts of OOC-ness that is there being under high control. Think about it: better a female who is defiant and with more inner strength than a Mary-Sue. I rest my case.

* * *

Edits: I changed one sentence of Gormal's dialogue. Forgive me, I'm listening to Marilyn Manson and Rammstein as I do this at, like, two in the morning.


	17. Malediction

Apologies for the late chapter and the not-being-on-ness. The family computer was going through a rather emotional period and I, being only a mere human, had to wait it out. Reviewer props go to out to **_Sa_**-chan, **_Sakura_**-chan and **_weixuan18_**-san. I do not own _One Piece_. I just read manga online.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc: _Malediction_

Once again, Zoro was standing on the deck of the strange restaurant, looking out into the picturesque forest shoreline below. He grunted in discontent as he heard footsteps on the wooden deck come closer from behind. Zoro could see a pair of thin, pale arms rest against the railing next to him, just catching it out of the corner of his eye.

"So," Kuina chuckled. "How did it go?" She tried to look into Zoro's eyes, but the swordsman kept on gazing outwards at the water. "Answer me Zoro."

"I never want you to do that again," Zoro huffed, turning his head to scowl at Kuina. "I kept on blacking out and doing stupid stuff. I nearly killed myself."

"When part of the soul is dormant, the portion that is active becomes out of touch," Kuina explained. "Whether you like it or not, my soul is a permanent part of you. Now you have two whole days before your nakama acting so incredibly unlike yourself, they might never look at you the same way again."

"I saw you everywhere after a while," Zoro continued. As he spoke, his words became more angred. "You did it just to spite me! I even had a dream with you there on the ship! I kept on seeing images of the dojo and everyone there. You sent me those images, didn't you!?"

"I did nothing," Kuina said blandly. "It was your brain acting on its own. Think of it as trying to walk with only one leg when you are used to two."

"I hate freaking analogies," Zoro grunted, crossing his arms angrily. He glared at Kuina and gave her a definitive scowl. "Can't you tell me that in terms I understand?"

"You understand when I'm still connected to you."

"Then come back. I want to actually remember everything I do instead of this blacking out shit." Kuina smiled and nodded her head.

"Sure," she agreed. "Just promise me something."

"What?"

"Don't take my presence for granted. Live for not only yourself, but for me as well. Push yourself as hard as you can and put your trust in the new crew members. They're more trustworthy than you would think. They will prove their worth soon enough."

"So now being older and dead makes you wiser than me too, eh?" Zoro snorted. He smiled cockily at the woman before him and held out his hand. "I promise on the night of our pact."

"Break your word and I'll break your mind," Kuina grinned, taking his hand and giving it a hearty shake. "You know I can."

"Of course," Zoro said. He felt a rush of air flow over him as Kuina's soul merged with his once more. The raven-haired woman before him then suddenly gasped and released Zoro's hand quickly.

"Wake up, now," she ordered, her expression horrified. "Wake up Zoro."

"Why?" the swordsman replied. "Don't you want to lecture me a little bit more and leave me beyond confused as always?"

"I never should have left you alone like that without knowing what you could do…"

"What are you talking about…?"

"Just wake up you damn punk!" Kuina screamed, smacking Zoro forcefully across the face. The impact was so powerful that the green-haired swordsman actually woke up with quite the painful jerk, his cheek slightly sore. He cringed at the foul smell that hung in the stale air combined with his reddened face. With what little light he could gather, he figured he was in the cupboard that he had bugged Chopper for medicine in the previous day. Reckoning that he would make the discovery as to why he was there in the daylight hours, Zoro went to go lay back down and sleep some more, only to happen upon something underneath him; more importantly it being the soft feeling of someone's arm.

_Ah, shit._

Laying down, Zoro turned his head to his right and saw Yume sleeping peacefully besides him. The swordsman's eye twitched as he tried to quickly back away from the woman, only able to move a few inches due to the narrow area of the closet they were in. The movement caused Yume to stir and she too sat up and held her face.

"Tch, my head," she moaned. "Was that a dream…?" She glanced over at the horrified Zoro and grimaced. "I guess not."

"What just happened!?" Zoro demanded. Yume looked at him, utterly disgusted.

"You mean you don't remember?"

"I blacked out."

"Baka," Yume scowled at Zoro in irritation. "Don't give me that crap. You knew what you were doing. The only reason I didn't kill you is because I had no weapon on me."

"I. Blacked. Out. Don't you believe me?"

"The past two days, you've been suicidal, acting just like Luffy and Sanji, hallucinating, calling me by some other girl's name..." Yume began to sneer, counting on her fingers. Zoro cut her off abruptly, making her even more irritated.

"What was the name?" he asked. "Yume, what was the name I called you?"

"_Kuina_," she snarled as the swordsman's face blanched. "You called me Kuina and tried out some foreplay. If that vial hadn't of broken..."

"What vial?"

"This one!" Yume's hand pointed over towards the corner of the closet and she snorted angrily. "The liquid inside gave off a gas when it was spilled. That's what made us fall asleep."

"So if it wasn't for that..." Zoro began.

"...I could have kicked your balls so hard you would choke on them," Yume finished. Zoro shivered as he imagined the kind of suffering that could have resulted from such a course of action.

"That would have hurt," he cringed. Zoro looked over at Yume to see that the look on her face was one of dead seriousness.

"So I thought you were Kuina..." Zoro squeaked out.

"Who is she?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You might as well," Yume snapped. "I mean, thinking I was her... while trying to have..."

"I get it! I get it!" Zoro cringed, not wanting to hear Yume clearly define what happened. He gave the raven-haired woman a strained look, as if he did not want to tell her anything.

"Spill, now," Yume ordered, her stony expression failing to falter. Zoro took a deep breath and sighed, gathering up his pride.

"When you tried to kill me, I dreamt of her, had she lived to this day," he said. "She was my rival as a child and ever since the day she died, there has not been a day that has passed where I wish she was not there besides me. Happy?"

"So you pretended I was the woman you wanted to screw around with then, eh?"

"She died when she was fourteen!" Yume's face became shocked, but then Zoro realized what he forgot to add in. "It was seven years ago when she died, maybe even more now. I never did see girls as... well... _women_... until a few years ago." He watched as the expression on her face grew slightly accepting.

"So you never figured out that you loved her until she was long gone."

"Now there's some Marine woman out there who looks _exactly _like her," Zoro continued. "She speaks big words and tries to be noble. It makes me sick."

"Is that why you had such a hard time letting me join up as a swordsfighter?" Yume asked, her voice sounding slightly softer. "Is it because I reminded you of her?"

"I hold possession of her soul in the Wado Ichimonji," Zoro explained. "We made a promise before her death that one of us would become the greatest swordsman in the world."

"Which is why I can't be."

"Exactly."

Yume leaned up against the wall and sighed. "I never did believe in spirits. Even if you do have your childhood love's soul in that sword, why did you act so strange the past two days? Your behavior has nothing to do with it."

"Yes it does," Zoro tried to explain. "You see, ever since you poisoned me, I've been able to talk to Kuina."

"Talk to her? She's dead."

"I know, but it is always in my dreams. She looks exactly as she would have had she stayed alive. We talk and discuss things. That night when I threatened you, she disapproved of what I did and decided to keep her conscious away from mine for two days. That's why I was acting strange."

"Now who sounds like they're out of one of Nami's romance novels?" Yume sneered lightly.

"Well, you did want to know."

"Still, what does her 'spirit' going away have anything to do with you acting like a total loon and then randomly ra..."

"Her soul and mine are almost one," Zoro said quickly, his heart rate quickening again in a panic. "If she is not there, it's like I'm walking on one leg."

"How'd you come up with that one?"

"She told me... kind of..." Zoro scratched his head, trying to remember exactly what it was Kuina had told him. "I don't remember what it was exactly, but what I do know is that whenever she's gone, so am I."

"So she is like the glue that holds you together?"

"I guess so."

"Then that would explain you acting exactly like Sanji yesterday..."

"I what...?!" Zoro gasped.

"Yeah," Yume smiled slyly. "You were flirting with Nami, Robin and me. Well, you were also flirting with some imaginary woman. My guess is that it was that Kuina girl."

"Probably."

An eerie silence passed over the two swordsfighters as they sat on the floor, staring at one another. Time seemed to pause more than pass until Yume decided to break the silence by clearing her throat and speaking.

"Then what are you going to do?" she asked in an annoyed manner. Zoro looked at Yume in confusion, his head cocked to the side.

"What do you mean?"

"You figured out what happened before we passed out, right?"

"Don't remind me," Zoro moaned, burying his face in his hands.

"What if there are certain... well, _consequences _from you gone crazy and thinking I was some dead woman?" Yume spat. "What would happen? Tell me."

"Ano... I don't want to think about it...?"

"Well, we could be lucky," Yume sighed, "or you will have to take responsibility..."

"What...!? I was out of it! I blacked out! Didn't you hear me tell you that!?"

"Yeah, but it was still you who did it, right?"

"That wasn't really me though…"

"You pissed off your other half, she left you to run about out of check, it's all your fault," Yume reasoned.

"I thought you said you didn't believe in spirits?" Zoro snapped.

"You're right; I don't. That's just your story and I'm sticking to it." Yume nodded decidedly, showing that her decision was made. At least she still had some sense after what happened.

"So, then what do you want me to do?" Zoro asked, rather irked at this point.

"If anything comes out of this, you are supposed to step up and take responsibility as a man would."

"Even if it's not my fault?"

"Yes it was."

"I don't remember doing it!"

"Well, I don't remember being a young child, but I know that I was one once," Yume retorted. Zoro grimaced, knowing that he had been had.

"Fine," he growled. "I still say that I couldn't control myself because I had blacked out!"

"You sound pathetic," Yume said, rolling her eyes and holding out her hand. Zoro grasped it and suddenly gasped, taken back to the promise he had made with Kuina. A stone dropped into his stomach, making him feel rather queasy. Yume then let go and lethargically stood up. After stretching and giving Zoro a healthy kick in the side, she walked out of the broom cupboard and out of Zoro's sight. The green swordsman purposely hit the back of his head on the wall, muttering obscenities.

_Don't hit our head like that_, came a voice.

"Kuina…?" Zoro asked, looking around. When he saw no one, he shook his head again in disgust. "I'm hearing things again."

_No you aren't I'm right here._

"I thought I could only hear you when I'm asleep?"

_Your body may no longer be puny, but your brain sure has stayed the same_, Kuina scoffed. _Zoro, you sounded like a broken Den Den just now._

"Well, what am I supposed to do? Just admit doing something I don't even remember doing? Guys go to jail for doing stuff like that."

_If you ever go to jail, it would be for your piracy. Besides, what cell could hold you?_

"…a good one."

_Stop being so pessimistic._

"I can't help it."

_Try at least acting nice to her from now on, _Kuina said, authority dripping from her voice. _I mean the two of you could become parents now._

"Oh, shut up," Zoro spat, smacking his sea-green hair in anger. "I know what could happen. You don't have to repeat it. I've been nothing but kind to that woman since she set foot on this ship."

_How can you say that? The two of you squabble and scrap at every chance you get. How have you ever been nice other than possibly when you were out of it?_

"She's not dead, how's about that?" Zoro could hear something similar to a sigh as he stood up and leaned up against the wall. "I've been kind by not killing her yet. I could have you know."

_She almost defeated you in a duel a while back on that island_, Kuina mentioned. _Besides, I think she's been kind by not killing you. She is a professional assassin bound in contract to take you out after all._

"So are you going to leave me alone now so that I can go back to bed?"

_Maybe…_

"No, now."

_Fine. Just remember that things could have been worse._

"How?"

_You could have beat her up too._

"Now you're getting annoying."

_Trying to be positive here._

"Shut up."

_You sure are rude._

"I'm tired! Let me go back to bed!" Zoro whined, walking out of the closet and towards the door to the men's quarters. "Leave me alone, woman."

_Zo-o-ro…_

"I'm not in the mood to argue with you. Not after that."

_You're such a guy_, Kuina sighed. _Fine. I'll leave you alone for now_.

"Finally," Zoro sighed, opening the door to the men's room. The door swung open and there stood Sanji, ready to go prepare the morning meal. The blond popped his head out into the hall and looked around.

"I thought I heard you talking to someone," he said.

"I was," Zoro snarled.

"Sounded like it was a girl. One of the girls is up already?"

"Go screw yourself," Zoro muttered, pushing past Sanji on his way to his hammock. The swordsman was helped along by a swift kick in the rear from the chef and as soon as he found himself having landed in his hammock and conveniently sprawled out at the same time, he fell asleep, only to end up dreaming of that small boy with a kendo bokken he saw when Yume has poisoned him.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Okay, yeah, another paragraph of typing. So... what do you think...? I was really concerned about staying within character during the wake-up discussion, but after the last volley of reviews, my spirits were bolstered. Concerning the chapter titles, yes I did probably spell "discrepancy" wrong somewhere, but today's chapter does mean "a curse". As far as me dancing around saying what exactly Zoro did... I don't like saying that outright. Maybe it's just me as a person, but I feel that if either character comes straight out about being in one another's pants, it just takes away from what conflicted emotions follow afterwards. Yeah, they could be angry, but they've already fought once, you know? I also felt the need for some bonding with Kuina, due to the fact that she is now... a central character!!! Yayness! Our Kuina is most definitely going to show up more often after this, though not admittedly in every chapter here forth. Please review now and leave your thoughts, good or bad. As one may have noticed, I acknowledge all opinions left.

* * *

Edits: Got rid of the "New Feature" Feature and now the story makes more sense. Trust me, it does. I altered a bit of dialogue and descriptive detail. 


	18. Loss

Oh, I am definitely pleased that things are still going along swimmingly. The future chapters rejoice at the warm receptions they are liable to receive. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to **_zenfry_**-kun (and his tendency to leave reviews _en mass_), **_weixuan_**-san and **_Sa_**-chan.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc: _Loss_

Later that day, things had gone about as normal as possible. At breakfast both Zoro and Yume were silent as they ate and the swordsman left as soon as he was done to go distract himself with some training. Yume stayed behind and tried to resume normalcy, yet failed when Nami began interrogating her about disappearing from the girls' room for a few hours the previous night. Morning passed and lunch came. Average routine began to take over and before anyone even realized it, the day was already at mid-afternoon. Robin had sat Yume down for a history lesson from one of her books, for she had discovered the swordswoman looking over her shoulder to read along.

"So this is an illustration of how an artist thought the battle actually happened," Robin said, pointing at a copy of an etching in a book. She turned the volume so that Yume could see the gruesome picture clearly as well. "It was fierce and many lives were lost. Nearly an entire section of the West Blue was wiped out."

"What are you doing?" Nami asked as she came over to the table and sat down. She laughed at the lost look that had been plastered onto Yume's face.

"Just a little history lesson for Swordswoman-san," Robin smiled. "Would Navigator-san like to join in?"

"No thanks," Nami shrugged, taking the newspaper from under her arm and fluffing it out to read. "I'm not interested in that type of stuff."

"Suit yourself," Robin said as she turned back to the book. Yume had flipped a few pages and was now reading intently. "What is it that you have found?"

"This battle," Yume said, pointing at another etching copy and the adjacent text. "This series of battles was fought in my homeland."

"Then you must know all about it, right?" Robin smiled. "Does the information in the book go with what your people talk about?"

"Actually, I have no clue whatsoever," Yume said, scanning the page ferociously. "I have never heard of this war. In fact, I can see some names in here that are now either famous or common and less-than-notable."

"Really? Such as…?"

"_Edonis_. That's my surname and it is the same as a general in here."

"That is intriguing," Robin said. "Are there any others?"

"_Dequindre_, that's the name of a family of butchers on the other side of my island and a spy here in the book. _Lafitte_ is a cruel police officer's name now and here it says that the clan elder was killed wanting to find a peaceful solution. There's also _Chene, Lafayette_, _Gratiot_... _Mihawk_ is probably the only one that has any real lack of change. That family has always been known for their swordsmen and here they were considered a warrior clan…"

"So you grew up in the same neighborhood as Swordsman-san's rival?" Robin asked. Yume looked up from the book and shrugged.

"There were many swordsfighting dojos around where I grew up. There's a chance, but I think I was on one side of the island archipelago and he was on the other. Gormal-kun would know for sure. He's the one really good at remembering." Yume and Robin failed to notice that Nami lowered her newspaper slightly, actually listening closely to their conversation.

"Oh, Nami-swaaaaan!" Sanji swooned, prancing up the stairs with a plate of snacks. "Robin-chwaaaaan! Yume-chaaaaan! I have some sweets for you three, created to match each of you beauties in splendor and grace!"

"Okay," Yume said, taking a crème puff and popping it in her mouth as soon as the plate landed on the table.

"You didn't have to do that Sanji-kun," Nami winked, sending the blond man aflutter. Sanji was so preoccupied with Nami that he did not realize that Luffy had walked over and was eating some of the puffy desserts along with Yume.

"Mmmm! These are good!" the boy-captain grinned, pastry stuck between his teeth. Sanji froze mid-flirt and turned his head over to Luffy.

"You ate their desserts…!?" he growled through clenched teeth and a cigarette.

"I let him take one," Yume said, placing another in her mouth. "He's just curious…"

"LUFFY!" Sanji roared, completely ignoring Yume. The rubberman scuttled off and hid behind Usopp, Maon and Gormal, who had just come up the stairs to see what the commotion was about.

"Sanji-kun, you're so…" Nami laughed, but then cut herself off. She stood up briskly and stared with wide eyes towards the clear blue sky off the starboard side.

"What's the matter Navigator-san?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, Nami, what's gotten into you?" Yume added. Nami's eyes grew wide and she rushed over to the developing pastry-oriented fray.

"Disciplining Luffy is going to have to wait Sanji," Nami said as she grabbed the blond man by the back of his collar and yanked him away. "We've got us a nasty storm coming up on our hands. There's no time to avoid it." She pointed towards the sky and received a few curious looks.

"A maelstrom? How can you tell that?" Gormal asked, rather inquisitive.

"Nami can predict the weather!" Usopp said as he ran over towards the door to the hold of the ship. What he did not notice though, was the fact that the dark-skinned man was holding him up by his overalls, preventing him from going any further.

"Can predict the weather can she?" Gormal muttered to himself. He then looked up at the sky. It was picture perfect. "I don't believe it." He then dropped Usopp with a loud thud.

"Trust me," Nami said, taking her beach chair and throwing it into the galley. "Even when I'm sick, I'm never wrong."

"You better be," Gormal said as he went to go help Sanji move the kitchen table into the hold. Once they finished, a huge clap of thunder resounded.

Sure enough, Nami was right. They had landed in the middle of a monstrous storm.

"Come on! Secure the ropes!" Nami barked as the rest of the crew scuttled about. "Maon! Help out with the mast rigging! Zoro! Get those crates inside! For goodness sake Luffy, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE OUT HERE, TIE YOURSELF DOWN ALREADY!!"

"This is fun Nami!" Luffy giggled as the waves came crashing down and sloshed water over the deck. The young captain was having fun riding the small current of water from one side of the sip to the other.

"What do you think is going to happen if you fall overboard?!" Yume yelled, following Nami's instruction and grabbing some rope. She grabbed Luffy and began tying him up, securing the rope to the mast. "Oi Nami!? Is Robin secure too?"

"She's below deck!" Nami shouted over the roar of the storm.

"Good!" Gormal replied as he went and helped Maon hold secure the ropes that connected the main rigging for the mast. "We can't have her flying off either!"

"Yume!" Luffy yelled. "Help me! I'm coming loose!" The swordswoman snapped her head in Luffy's direction to see that the straw-hatted boy was indeed coming loose, his various ropes and knots coming undone in the torrent of splashing waves all around him. With the waves coming over the deck of the ship as large and deep as they were, Luffy was unable to stretch to safety in the crow's nest.

"I'm coming!" Yume replied as she got some more rope and dashed out to help Luffy again. A wave came crashing over the deck and made her slip, slamming her right shoulder into the wooden bulk of the mast.

"Yume-san!" Gormal yelled as he saw the woman fall. He allowed one hand to let go of the ropes, but rethought that idea when the rigging tried to snap the rope upward. Looking about, he saw that Zoro had just finished throwing a barrel down into the safety of the hold. Gormal called out his name, hoping that he could get the swordsman's attention.

"Eh?" Zoro asked. He looked over towards Gormal and wondered what was wanted of him.

"Go help Yume-san! She fell while trying to tie up Luffy!" Zoro looked over to the mast and saw that she was indeed attempting to get back on her feet. He ran over to help her up, but he was too slow and got there by the time she was re-securing Luffy.

"Help me with this knot Zoro," Yume said with a strained voice as she struggled with the wet rope. The green-haired man nodded in agreement and quickly did the knot for her.

"There, that should do it," he sighed with relief.

"AAAHHH!" Luffy screamed. "Big wave! Big wave! Let me get out of here!"

"Huh?" everyone on deck seemed to say at once. They looked to the starboard side, where Luffy was staring and sure enough, they ended up staring down a wave over fifty meters large, big enough to swallow them all up in an instant.

"Oh shit," Sanji said, letting the cigarette fall from his mouth and sizzle out in the wet puddle beneath him. Instantly, everyone grabbed onto something and braced themselves. Even Maon and Gormal abandoned the rigging in lieu of the safety of the ship's railing.

The wave came down upon them with a mighty crash, washing away everything that was not tied down properly. This meant, of course, that Luffy was able to wriggle out of his binding and began to wash away when the water receded.

"Luffy!" Yume screamed, noticing how the rubber man was limply washing off the deck. She let go of the stair railing and ran over to him, just catching him before he slid off into the ocean. Without thinking, she ran back over to the wooden staircase and threw Luffy in Zoro's arms for safekeeping.

"Shit! He's out cold from the water!" Zoro swore as he shook his captain. He looked up to see Yume rubbing her right shoulder, wincing slightly. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Yume snapped just loud enough for Zoro to hear. She gave him a cynical glare, which he mirrored before their concentration was snapped.

"Brace yourselves over there!" Nami yelled over the roar of the storm. "Another wave's coming!"

Sure enough, a second wave came and tumbled onto the little caravel. Zoro held on tight to his captain and the stair railing as he could feel the water rush past his with tremendous force. As soon as the water receded, he gasped for air, spitting and choking on the salty water. He opened his eyes and his heart skipped a beat.

Yume was not there.

"Yume!?" Zoro yelled, standing up and looking around. He knew that if she had washed overboard, not only would Gormal kill him, but she would be the second person to die after forcing him into a promise.

"Zoro! Gormal-kun! Help!" shouted Yume's voice. Zoro spotted the swordswoman's figure over on the other side of the ship, clutching to the outer edge of the side railing and slipping frantically. Zoro began to run over to her, clumsily trying to keep Luffy slung over his shoulder.

"Hold on!" he said as he used his free hand to grasp onto Yume's wrist. He looked over his shoulder to see Gormal struggling to find enough footing on the slick boards to run over and assist them.

"Zoro! I'm slipping!" Yume cried, trying to clutch onto his strong arm. She grimaced as pain resounded through her shoulder again, forcing her right arm to release grip out of reflex.

"Just hang on a while longer! Gormal's coming!" Zoro yelled as wind whipped past his ears. He could feel her skin slipping slowly in his grasp. Another wave passed over them, though not as powerful as the previous ones.

"I'm coming Yume-san!" Gormal called out as he finally was able to properly stand. He began to run over to the railing and lunged at Yume's hand just as Zoro's grip finally gave way.

Gormal grabbed nothing but water.

"YUME-SAN!!" Gormal screamed as he and Zoro watched the woman disappear from sight. The two men began scanning the choppy waves, trying to find a trace of her. Panicking, Gormal clutched the rail and prepared to jump off to search for her, but he was stopped as Zoro grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back down.

"Are you crazy!? We don't need to lose you too!" the green-haired man shouted over the waves. Gormal gave him a disgusted look before both men were knocked down by another wave and tossed over to the other side of the ship. They ended up sliding into a rather large Chopper, who prevented them and Luffy from being tossed out to sea.

"Zoro!" screeched a voice. It was Nami, looking severely shaken and worn. "Throw Luffy into the hold! We can't risk him flying off!"

"...but Yume-san...!" Gormal protested, gazing over the port side of the _Merry Go._

"That's why we're stashing away Luffy!" Nami retorted. "We can search for her once the sea settles down! Right now if we don't keep the ship afloat, we might not be alive to rescue her!"

"Nami-swan's right!" Sanji shouted over the storm. "We need to re-secure the rigging and try to sail out of this! Am I right?"

"Spot on Sanji-kun!" Nami smiled. The blond took Gormal by the arm and went over to the rigging, picking up Maon and Usopp along the way. The four began to attempt to tame the ropes and before long had Chopper helping out when Usopp began flying about on his rope, caterwauling the entire way.

"Where in the hold should I put Luffy?" Zoro asked Nami. The navigator thought for a moment before answering.

"Find where Robin went! Put him with her; she'll watch over him!"

"Right!" Zoro replied. He rushed over to the door to the inner hold and literally threw in Luffy and himself. The boards were still slick from the water on his boots and Zoro slid into the far wall, cracking his head on a protruding piece of wood. Everything was red, then black in and instant and not even Kuina could talk him out of waking up for quite some time. When he did wake however, the sky was calm and dark, the sun having set long before and leaving behind only scant traces of twilight. Luffy was missing and the floor of the hall remained damp from the storm. Zoro walked out of the hallway and out onto the deck. Everything was eerily silent. On the other side of the ship, Maon walked out of the galley door and spotted Zoro standing there. The swordsman could see tears in the musician's eyes as he walked over to him.

"Z-Z-Zoro..." Maon sniffed as he held the door to the galley open. "It's awful."

"What's awful?"

"Yume-san... she's... gone...!"

"You mean, you couldn't find her?"

Maon's bottom lip quivered and he began to shake. Without a word, he went back into the galley, unable to tearlessly confirm anything.

_She's gone...?_ Zoro thought, a pang hitting him in the stomach. Something felt wrong about it all. No more Yume. Another woman he made a promise with who died almost instantly. Zoro looked down at his feet and saw a necklace– a golden wedding band strung on a delicate chain. He picked it up and placed it in his pocket instinctively.

"She's gone..."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Names: I need to explain that most of those names that Yume lists off happen to be street names near me, namely _Dequindre _(dee-kwin-der), _Chene_ (shane), _Lafayette _(lah-faye-ette) and _Gratiot_ (gra-shit). You read correctly. Shit. It is a phenomenon that many newbies to the area raise their eyebrows at. _Edonis _is from a CLAMP work and _Lafitte _is actually a canon character from One Piece.

Yume Overboard: Ano... erm... okay, deal people. I know she was a good OC, but it has to be done. I may not fully explain now, but everything will come together in due time. -waits to be sacrificed-

* * *

Edits: Did I make some? I can't remember now. Too much hard rockin' going on with my music. Maybe I should switch to my Elton John-based playlist. 


	19. Lament

I finally have snow! Huzzah! There is snow here in the suburbs and I am happy! ...but also cold. Really, really cold. -shrugs- Oh well. At least I have my snow finally. It helps to keep me indoors and work on my story more than if my parents have a reason to throw me out into the sunshine. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to **_Groggy_**-san, **_weixuan_**-san, **_Sa_**-chan and **_Ryou_**-kun. You guys rock out loud.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc: _Lament_

All he did was stare out at the ocean. Nami and Robin imagined that was what he was doing as they wordlessly walked around him to go to their room for bed, but Zoro was far from just staring out into space. A silent chat was going on between old friends that was best left in the green-haired man's head.

'_All I am saying is that you shouldn't think of this as a curse,' _Kuina stated, trying her very best to sound persuasive and positive simultaneously.

_I don't care_, Zoro snarled. _I'm a cursed man. Maybe that's why I passed the sword's test in Logue Town._

'_That had nothing to do with it!' _The sheer ferocity of Kuina's voice caused Zoro to grimace. _'How were you to know she was going to die? Every day we risk our having our lives being lost at sea! It is all part of being a pirate!'_

_You are not the pirate, I am!_

'_As far back as I've been aware, you never became a pirate on original intention. Any way you look at it now, we both have become a feared and ferocious pirate. Remember that you and I are virtually one being.'_

_Yet I am still the one who is physically here. _Zoro took his eyes away from the rapidly fading twilight and stared in the round window on the galley door. He could see Luffy, Maon, Usopp and Chopper drinking morosely. _At least they know how to properly get over the loss of someone._

'_Sounds to me like you were a little keener on her than you led yourself to believe,'_ Kuina smirked. Zoro smacked his face and scoffed.

_Don't say things like that._

'_You discovered your love for me after I died. What makes Yume any different?'_

"It's not love; just shut up. I need something to drink," Zoro growled. He made his way towards the galley door and barged on in. The first thing he noticed however, was Maon sitting at the table in the galley, swaying violently as Zoro walked in. The swordsman propped the drunken man as he passed him, on his way to the grog cabinet. It was fairly noisy in the galley, everyone present attempting to follow along what seemed to be a drinking song that Maon was singing loudly.

"Immanuel Kant was a real pissant who was very rarely stable!" Maon sang, swinging his bottle around animatedly. "Heidegger, Heidegger was a boozy beggar who could think you under the table! -hic- Hume could out consume... whoa!" The song was cut off as Maon finally lost his bearings and fell to the floor.

"This is a great song!" Usopp said, bleary-eyed and with his own bottle of grog empty.

"I agree! Maon is so cool when he's singing!" Chopper replied next to Usopp. The small reindeer's eyes were out of focus and he was swinging about in his seat to an imaginary tune that danced in his head.

"You got Chopper drunk!?" Zoro scolded as he smacked Usopp on the backside of his drunken head.

"Hey, it was Luffy's idea!" Usopp whined, pointing across the table at their captain. Zoro looked to see that Luffy was passed out cold, a feat that amazingly took only two bottles of Sanji's strongest cooking sake.

"...and Wittgenstein was a beery swine who was just as sloshed as Schlegel!" Maon continued singing, struggling to sit upright on his chair again. "There's nothin' Nietzsche couldn't teach ya 'bout the raising of the wrist..."

"...SOCRATES HIMSELF WAS PERMANENTLY PIIIIISSSSSED!" Chopper, Usopp and Maon all sang together in their own off-key versions. Zoro sighed as he went out of the galley to the deck to get drunk, not wanting to be disturbed by the rest of the crew. He took a swig of the bottle and sighed deeply. Suddenly, he heard a gunshot come out of nowhere. Turning around, he saw that Gormal was standing on the rear deck, his pistols drawn and the man in a rage.

"How dare you!" he screamed, firing his pistols off at the sea. "You took her away from me! Ruddy bastard! Why did you take her away from me!?" Completely unaware of Zoro coming up behind him, Gormal emptied the barrels until all he got was a clicking sound. Once this happened, he allowed his knees to buckle and he sat on the deck staring blankly at the dark horizon.

"She's not coming back," Zoro said, breaking the silence. The deck hand did not jump back out of surprise, but acted as if he expected Zoro to be there.

"I don't care."

"You're acting as if you are ready to kill the sea."

"Yeah, as if I could kill this bloody mistress of ours," Gormal laughed, his voice choking up. "We never should have taken on this wretched assignment."

"How were you to know she was going to die? Every day we risk our having our lives being lost at sea. It is all part of being a pirate." Zoro leaned on the railing of the ship and looked down at the inky waters below, thankful for Kuina's words.

"You never knew her," Gormal sneered. "I did. Maon did. We were nakama long before this ship came into the picture. Oh, did I ever want to be closer…"

"Nothing is closer than nakama," Zoro stated.

"…_but I **loved **her_," Gormal admitted, slamming his fist down on the boards of the deck. Zoro watched through the corner of his eye as Gormal broke down beside him, tears beginning to flow down the deck hand's face. "If only she… Annette-chan… oh Annette-chan…"

"Annette…?" Zoro asked. "I thought we were talking about Yume."

"That name was just for anonymity," Gormal growled. "Annette was her real name. Annette Anastasie Mihawk."

"Mihawk…?!" Zoro gasped, nearly dropping his bottle of grog into the sea. "You can't mean…!"

"The Shichibukai; yes. Juraquille is Annette's elder cousin, as well as the man who taught her swordsmanship."

"She has been related to the man I've been chasing all this time? How is that even possible?"

"It is just the way everything played out. Juraquille is a good man. He watched over her after the war in their homeland killed their parents. They were all each other had left sans the necklace that Annette-chan wore and the swords they slung on their backs."

"Necklace…?" Zoro wondered, sticking his hand in his pocket and pulling out the golden chain and band that had washed up onto the deck during the storm.

"You wouldn't understand," Gormal sighed, deciding to lay spread-eagle on the deck. "You never loved her."

"Gormal, is this the necklace you were talking about?" Zoro asked. He held out the necklace so that the ring dangled on the end, glinting in the wan torchlight. Gormal opened his eyes and gasped.

"Where did you get that!?" he asked. He stood up briskly and took the necklace from Zoro. "This is her necklace!"

"I guess it washed up on deck during the storm. I found it just short while ago." Zoro watched as Gormal's face went from shocked to depressed.

"You take it," the deck hand said, shaking his head and holding out the necklace. "All it would do is give me nightmares. You found it. In fact, give it to Juraquille when you meet him."

"Yeah, but Yume was the second girl I've made a promise to," Zoro said blankly. "I'm not sure if I can have it."

"You made a promise to her?"

"Long story."

"Then what happened to the other girl?" Gormal asked. Zoro stayed silent until Gormal prodded him in the shoulder forcefully.

"Alright," he sighed. "She fell down the stairs and snapped her neck. I promised that we would fight each other for the title of the world's strongest swordsman. Now Yume…"

"What did you promise her?" Zoro could hear the snarl in Gormal's voice intensify. "What did you promise my captain?"

"She…" Zoro started. He was unsure about if he could finish or not. "…she made me promise to take responsibility like a man."

"That sure is an odd promise," Gormal said suspiciously. "When did she have you pledge this?"

"Early this morning when it was still considered nighttime," Zoro said. Gormal's face became stern and angry.

"What happened…?" he asked. Zoro refused to answer him, instead glaring out at the sea, giving Gormal the answer he was looking for. "Did you become what I always wanted to be in her eyes? Did you go with her where I never could?"

"Do you think I wanted to?"

"I wouldn't put it past you."

"Look, I did nothing on purpose, alright?" Zoro snarled angrily, glaring at Gormal square in the eyes. "You really want to claim that I did something out of my own free will, then go ahead, but I had a very long talk with that captain of yours and what she did during that talk was make me promise that I would accept responsibility that was mine."

"Responsibility for what exactly?"

"My actions. You know what I mean. Admitting to my acts of piracy and stuff. Never regret how I've left the world. That kind of thing."

"I highly doubt that Annette-chan was randomly giving you a pep talk," Gormal scoffed. "If I ever do find out exactly what happened, I will personally skin you alive." He glared at Zoro and huffed off, kicking a piece of random driftwood before descending down the stairs.

_Thanks for the help there_, Zoro sighed internally. He heard Kuina giggle inside his head.

'_Well, you're no good at heart-to-hearts, now are you?' _she replied. _'I thought it would have been better if I helped out and put some words in your mouth. Besides Zoro, you've been drinking.'_

_What's wrong with me drinking?_

'_Do you want to be acting like Maon down in the galley, singing like a raving luncatic?'_

_That man can't hold his ale. Besides, are you my mother now?_

'_Even better: your conscious,'_ Kuina scolded. _'Now that you know my soul still exists, I can help you through just about anything!'_

_Yeah, except when I'm talking to you it looks like I'm either staring off into space or have finally cracked and am holding a conversation with myself._ Zoro took a swig of the grog and sighed. _That's gonna be a bit of a problem._

'_That will become smoother with time,'_ Kuina said kindly. _'Let's start talking while you train. That way it will be easier for us to communicate during important situations.'_

_What do you mean by 'important situations' Kuina?_

'_When my opinion might mean for you the difference between life or death.'_

_Someone sounds like they're high and mighty,_ Zoro groaned. He quickly downed the rest of the bottle and casually tossed it overboard. _Will you at least stay out of my business with others? It would be very annoying with your voice shouting in the back of my head if I'm trying to do my own thing._

'_Of course.' _Unseen to anyone, the spirit gave a deft smile and sighed._ 'I will stay out of your affairs unless needed. No worries.'_

_You better keep to that_, Zoro started. He stopped, however, when he heard the sound of footsteps not too far off. He was relieved when it was only Nami coming up, thinking there had been no one there.

"Good, it's only you," Zoro scoffed.

"...and what is that supposed to mean!?" Nami snapped.

"I think Gormal's on the warpath and I don't want to deal with any of the drunks right now," Zoro replied casually.

"The rest of the guys are drunk?"

"I don't know about Sanji. Gormal is too angry to drink, but Usopp and Luffy got Chopper skunk drunk and now Maon's trying to lead them in song..."

"So that's what Robin and I heard," Nami groaned, rubbing her left temple. "We heard something about being a bugger for the bottle and dram. I guess it's not our imagination, huh?"

"Nope," Zoro laughed. "They're just that weird."

"It sounds like some sort of barnyard animal is dying in there."

Zoro let out a slight chuckle and sighed. "I never knew you could make jokes like that. Why are you up here anyways?"

"I just wanted to come up here for a breath of fresh air. Today's been a long one."

"Yeah, too bad I missed all the excitement after the storm. What happened?"

"Gormal nearly drowned trying to look for Yume. Sanji had to drag him out of the water when the sun began to set. He was devastated."

"That so?"

"Yeah. Zoro, you know, I think he was in love with her." The swordsman blanched and his head snapped over towards Nami.

"How do you figure?"

"Maon just seemed really quiet when everything was over. Gormal almost couldn't be stopped from risking life and limb over her."

"What about Luffy?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"He was the one who wanted the three in the crew. How did he take it? When I found him he was passed out."

"Not too well, but better than Gormal at least. You know, just typical Luffy. I think that this time through, he knew his limitations with the sea."

"That's not a typical Luffy move."

"I know," Nami sighed. "He still cried though. I'm glad you missed it." She looked over at Zoro, a morose expression on her face. "Just when I was warming up to her too." She paused for a response for Zoro, yet the swordsman stayed silent on the outside.

'_Say something to her!'_ Kuina ordered.

_What!? What do I say? You told me yourself that I'm no good at heart-to-hearts! Help me out Kuina!_

"Zoro? Are you okay?" Nami asked, her eyebrow raised.

'_Are you sure you want my help? What about staying out of your business?'_

"Zoro?"

'_It could be the wrong thing. I've seen who this girl is…'_

"What are you doing? Just staring off into nothing? Are you ignoring me?"

'_Zoro?'_

"Zoro?"

"**SHIT**!" Zoro bellowed, holding the sides of head and grimacing. Nami jumped back out of surprise. "Just do it already! Stop making my head hurt!"

"What in the hell are you talking about!?" Nami snapped, hitting Zoro on the back of his head.

"Ouch! What the…!?"

"Stop acting so strange!" Nami ordered.

"Who ever said I was acting strange?" Zoro whined as he rubbed the lump on the back of his head. Kuina's soul had taken over, leaving the real Zoro to leave curses to Nami silently.

"You have been acting odd for months now! Stop worrying the rest of us!"

"You worry about me?" Kuina made Zoro give her a look that still could have come from him, but was just soft enough to send a chill up Nami's spine.

"Of course… we're nakama!" she retorted defensively. "We all worry about you when you're sick! Even Sanji worried when you were unconscious for that week!"

"I'm touched," Zoro said with a laugh. He looked up at the cloudless sky and smiled at the multitude of stars in the inky sea above. "We better get to sleep. Didn't you say something about an island coming up soon?"

"Oh, yeah," Nami said, the thought returning to her mind, letting her forget all about Zoro's new mannerisms. "Jaya should be coming up any day now. We have to be ready." She then walked away and headed over to her room so that she could get to sleep.

"You're welcome," Kuina made Zoro say.

_You bitch…_

"Hey, you were the one who wanted me to take over for you."

_**NEVER** look at her like that again!_

"Kami-sama knows you've been looking at her since she joined up… or is she just meaningless eye-candy to you?"

_How dare you! Do not make those accusations!_

"Pervert."

_Give me my body back!_

"Fine," Kuina sighed. Zoro's face twitched and snapped to the right, allowing the first mate control of his own body once more. _Better?_

"Much. Now leave me alone," Zoro growled. He walked down the stairs and into the men's quarters, wanting to sleep himself, there being a feeling in his gut that the next few days would be trying ones.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Maon's Drinking Song: Yes! It is Monty Python's Philosopher Drinking Song! I love that sketch to pieces, particularly their bit about American beer. I can sing the entire song, but I'm not sure how many people without even a slight background in philosophy or Monty Python would get it.

Question One: How is the "Kuina Situation" going along? Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? Please let me know.

Question Two: Gormal? Is his character a bit clearer now or not? Feedback people! Please? Information of this sort is vital and necessary for the betterment of the fiction and your reading experience.

Question Three: Is Zoro being Zoro? Is this whole confused-angst thing going good for him?

Question Four: For those of you who know any of the One Piece story past what 4Kids butchered, which is better... Davy Back Fight or G8 arc? Just curious. I like both of them quite a bit, but I was wondering about other English-language fans out there.

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Edits: I changed, erm, one thing by altering a sentence. It helps, trust me.


	20. Acceptance

Boo-hoo, I killed off my female OC...you people aren't exactly being, well, supportive. I could think of the mass-reaction of Darth Vader-angst-screams to be a good thing in being that I wrote a good character. Maybe too good. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to **_weixuan_**-san, **_Sa_**-chan and **_White_** **_Butterfly_**-san (and her many, many reviews). By the way, this chapter sucks. I don't like it. -makes face- It is necessary though.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Assassin's Arc: _Acceptance_

The sun rose on the small caravel in peaceful serenity, though there was no peace to be found on the _Merry Go_. There was still seaweed and driftwood strewn everywhere and the remaining nine crew members were a mess. Things immediately became sluggish as soon as breakfast was done with and the cleanup of the ship got underway.

"Nyaaa… this is so boring," Luffy whined as he helped the rest of the crew clean up the endlessly messy deck. "…and my head hurts real bad. It feels like someone is screaming in my brain!"

"I know," Usopp sympathized as he helped the captain shove a pile of wood board over the side. "It was bad enough that we had to fight our way through the storm. Why couldn't Nami catch it quicker…?"

"I wasn't paying that close attention!" Nami snapped, taking another piece of driftwood and using it as a baseball bat against Usopp and Luffy. "The forecast was supposed to be perfect for the day! Everyone makes mistakes!"

"Now we're down a crew member because of your mistake," Maon mentioned icily. Nami glared over at the musician as he swept up some of the smaller, unidentifiable pieces of debris and pushed them overboard.

"That part's not my fault," Nami argued. "That could have happened to any one of us at any other time! Yume getting swept overboard was just a random coincidence. How can I tell who the sea will claim next?"

"Stop fighting!" Zoro growled from on top of the crow's nest. "I'll come down there and slice all your throats if you guys don't shut up!"

"Those are big words for someone who hid while we were trying to rescue her!" Usopp shouted ironically.

"Watch your mouth you coward!"

"Guys, stop it!"

"Nami, you started it!"

"Luffy, I did not!"

"Please don't start this now!" Chopper whined as he helped Sanji and Robin throw a few dozen rotting fish over the side of the deck.

Suddenly, the sound of someone loudly slamming open the door to the hold resounded, cutting off all form of argument. Gormal appeared on the deck, a small pack slung over his back and grim resolution covering his face. He looked up at his shipmates and snorted.

"Come on Maon. We're leavin'."

"G-Gormal…?" Maon asked, unsure of what Gormal had really meant. "What are you talking about?"

"Maon, we are getting off this ship, now," Gormal snarled, kicking the overturned dinghy so that it sat upright. The deck hand then pushed the small boat off the edge of the ship and dropped his bag down onto the craft.

"Gormal, I don't want to go!" Maon said. "We're perfectly fine here on this ship. The last time we went sailing on the Grand Line in one of those we nearly died."

"There is no purpose to staying here anymore. It is bad enough we have to leave without Annette-chan and an unfinished mission. Come on. We are leaving."

"I… I'm not leaving!" Maon yelled, his voice hesitant.

"Wait a second! What is going on here!?" Nami shouted. "What are you two talking about?"

"Yeah Maon, what _are _you two talking about?" Usopp asked.

"Don't explain, let's just go!" Gormal ordered. "It's just going to be the two of us again…"

"Just because you want to run away from here, that doesn't mean that I do!"

"Annette-chan is dead!"

"Which is why we have to pick up the pieces and keep on going for the sake of her memory!"

"What is going on you two!?" Nami demanded. She stood between Maon and Gormal, glaring at both men. "Neither of you are making any sense!"

"I am making perfect sense," Gormal snarled.

"Just let them go," Zoro scoffed from his perch in the crow's nest. "Don't give them too much grief about it."

"Who ever asked you?" Nami snapped. She then turned and stared at Gormal. "Explain yourself this very instant! No one's getting off this boat in the middle of the ocean. It's too dangerous."

"Nami, if they want to go…" Luffy piped up, "just let them go."

"You're their captain! Shouldn't you be discouraging this!?"

"We don't stay on this boat because of a blood contract," Luffy said, as if the very fact had been emblazoned on the main sail.

"Well, if I go, then Maon goes," Gormal said. "That's how it's always been from the start and that's how it's going to stay."

"You leave if you want!" Maon snarled. "I'm not leaving this crew unless they want me to!"

"This is not where we belong!" Gormal roared. "We kill people like them all the time! Now we've failed and have to move on! You know there's going to be another crew and another job out there for us. Maon, get in the boat, now!"

All the bystanders besides Zoro blanched. Never had they expected Gormal say anything like that. Zoro was the one who sat there and watched over everything acidly, having already known all the dirty little secrets.

"Annette-san would be furious at you!" Maon sniffled, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I give up; who is this 'Annette'?" Nami asked.

"Yume-san," Maon answered.

"Maon, don't do it," Gormal warned.

"The three of us were a team of assassins sent to kill Zoro. That's why he fell ill for that week. Annette-san poisoned him."

"Maon…!"

"We were supposed to do it to protect Annette-san's cousin. Zoro was going to kill him if they met again!"

"I'm warning you Maon…!"

"We were supposed to prevent him from killing Juraquille Mihawk!" Maon paused to cringe at his own words. Angrily, he spun around to face Luffy and began breathing heavily from all the screaming. "Our mission was abandoned long ago. We have not attempted to take Zoro's life since the poisoning failed. Since then, we've just stayed along for the ride until the opportune time to leave. Even if Annette-san was here and on Gormal's side I still wouldn't want to leave! You people are too kind to be called pirates! I have become proud to call you my nakama!"

"Maon, they are bloody pirates all the same!" Gormal boomed. He marched over to his nakama and forcefully spun him back around. "Do you really want to stoop to the level of piracy they have accepted!?"

"They are noble pirates, if you can believe that there is such a thing!" Maon said, seemingly quite steadfast in his decision. He turned back around to Luffy and landed on his knees. "Please forgive me! Let me stay on this ship under your command!"

The ship became dead silent. No one spoke or made a sound. The boy-captain looked at the two men he had thought of as nakama and tried his best to assess the situation. Looking from Maon to Gormal, he began thinking of the right thing to say. Maon began to sniffle as he awaited Luffy's answer.

"If Gormal wants to go alone, let him go," Luffy said. "He has to make his own decision and his decision only."

"Luffy, Maon said that they tried to kill Zoro!" Chopper squeaked, pulling on the captain's shorts. "This sounds like a lie."

"You of all people to believe that," Zoro groaned. "Both these guys know their limits. Now that Yume's gone, there's no chance for them to kill me, ever. That's why Gormal wants off, right?" The green-haired swordsman flashed a devilish smile, knowing how correct he was.

"You knew of this Zoro?" Nami asked.

"Of course," Zoro sighed, leaning slightly on the mast. "Yume told me everything. These jerks have worked for the government and got off many times on account of Mihawk's influence. Hell, even Yume knew that after trying once, she was in way over her head if she ever tried to kill me again."

"I never knew you were so perceptive," Gormal snapped. He never even looked at Zoro, only keeping his stony blue eyes fixed on Maon. "I guess even idiots have their days."

"You would know," Zoro quipped.

"Arse," Gormal snarled.

"Gormal, if you want to go, then go," Luffy said. The deck hand looked up and saw that Luffy was truly serious, his face grim and steadfast. "Don't force Maon. If you really don't want to leave without him, then stay here with us."

"You mean it Luffy!?" Maon asked, tears running down a smiling face.

"Of course," Luffy shrugged. "My crew members are all allowed to leave when they please, but when another crew member has to be severely affected, then the freedom to leave is gone."

"You sure have thought that out," Sanji scoffed, taking a drag of his cigarette and tensing himself up. "Maybe that's why you're the captain, I guess. Too bad that Yume-chan never did kill aho-marimo…"

"Eat shit, cook," Zoro barked. The two men glared at one another, death intentions in their eyes. Gormal, having quickly tired of being ignored, reached for the pistol he had shoved in his red sash and pointed it Maon's head.

"Come on, I'm growing weary of this" he sneered. Instantly, he found that on one side of his head there was a sword tip and on the other was a rather dangerous heel, both only a couple of centimeters from his temples.

"You heard the captain," Zoro chuckled. "Let Maon be. I have a feeling you've been pushing him around for quite a while, haven't you?"

"He's been different ever since we met Annette-san," Maon gulped. "He's become more of a prick. The Gormal I traveled with for three years was never like this."

"Just let me deal with my nakama my own way," Gormal huffed.

"He's our nakama too," Usopp said. Gormal cocked the pistol and prepared to shoot. Maon's eyes grew wide as he heard the pistol click into place.

"_Fleur Grab_," Robin said casually as she closed her eyes. A random hand sprouted out from Gormal's wrist and safely took hold of the gun barrel, snatching it away from the man's grasp. A couple more hands quickly generated and roughly forced Gormal's hands behind his back, securing the startled man in place. "There. I think that this would be better for everyone's sake."

"What did you do to me woman!?" Gormal panicked. Robin smiled slightly and gave a slight chuckle.

"Just listen, Deck Hand-san," she said, jerking Gormal's chin up so that he could look her square in the eyes. "On this ship, no one person is ruled by another. Only by our own vices do we act. You cannot threaten Musician-san into going with you. If you do so again, it may be _your_ life that is compromised."

"Well said Robin-chwan," Sanji grinned through the smoke from his cigarette. He lowered his foot and gave Gormal a sharp glare. "We could care less if you two wanted to kill the shit-swordsman. Enough of us have jaded enough pasts to not care one way or the other. Isn't that right Luffy?"

"Of course," the rubber man said. "I'm not exactly sure what Sanji meant by 'jaded', but what you did is what you did. Nothing can take it back. If you are sorry, then you can stay."

"…but he admitted to trying to kill Zoro," Chopper whined again, looking at Gormal and Maon with fright. "Are you sure? They seemed like such nice people before…"

"Which is why they can stay! Everyone has dreams, right? Let them stay and follow their dreams," Luffy smiled.

"We've never told you our dreams," Maon piped up, feeling slightly better. "How would you know that we have them?"

"Everyone has to have a dream in order to do anything," Luffy reasoned. "If there were no dreams, nothing would exist. Tell me, what are your dreams?"

"To be part of a family, or close-knit set of people, and have fun all the while," Maon said. "By staying here, that dream is satisfied."

"Really?" Usopp asked. "Your dream would be just perfectly fine by just staying with us?"

"Yeah," Maon said, turning a bit red. "I never knew a family, so you lot, as well as Gormal and Annette-san, have been the closest thing to a group of siblings I've ever had."

"Gormal, what's your dream?" Luffy asked, bounding up to the deck hand and getting right in his face.

"Yes, tell us that dream of yours Gormal," Zoro smirked.

"Yeah, shit-traitor, come on," Sanji threatened.

"My dream," Gormal snarled, "is to see the world. There, happy?"

"See the world, eh?" Luffy smiled. "Well, we're gonna travel all over the place! You can stay with us too!"

"I don't get you pirates," Gormal grumbled, still being held back by Robin's Fleur Grab. "You lot shouldn't be so quick to forgive."

"Well, if it was a mistake, you are outnumbered after all," Robin said. "Would you take that risk?"

"Being outnumbered means you're more favored to win," the bound man grinned.

"Robin, let him go," Luffy ordered. The archaeologist nodded and the hands constricting Gormal's movement disappeared into thin air. The hand holding onto the gun placed it back it in his sash before vanishing as well.

"What is this?" Gormal asked.

"Welcome to the crew!" Luffy announced. He giggled slightly and gave Gormal a big smile. "You're one of us!"

"I'm not a pirate…"

"…neither was I…" Zoro added.

"…or me…" Nami nodded.

"…in fact, the only two of us with the original pirate purpose are probably Luffy and Usopp," Sanji finished. "Life changes; change with it."

"So you're going to have to learn how to not be such a prick again!" Maon scolded. "I want the old Gormal back, you hear?"

"If this doesn't work, I'm leaving, with or without my nakama," Gormal scoffed.

"Good, now you can be a good boy and help us clean up this deck!" Nami smiled, shoving a broom in Gormal's hands. On instinct, he dropped the handle and jumped back.

"That's not funny!" he snapped at Nami, who was now laughing.

"Yes it is!" she giggled. Out of her pocket, she pulled a Den Den Mushi and held it just out of Gormal's reach. The man's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped.

"You wouldn't…"

"One call and some coordinates would bring Mordag-san here. Do you want that…?"

"NO!" Gormal and Maon gasped simultaneously. Nami chuckled and crossed her arms victoriously.

"Exactly, so get back to working! You guys don't want an obahan with a war hammer coming at us, do you?" The rest of the Mugiwara men gulped and also began working.

"Navigator-san, you sure are a cruel one," Robin smiled.

"You just have to know what makes them tick Robin. Come on, let's get some lemonade."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Gormal: His prick-ness shines through once again. -sighs- I know, depressing, isn't it?

Obahan: 'Tis the term given to an impudent, middle-aged woman... or Mordag.

* * *

Edits: Maybe... I'm still rockin' with the music. I don't think I did. Then again, this was a fairly important chapter content-wise. Tinkering would have been bad. 


	21. Enter Adventure

New arc! New arc! Milestone! For a while now, we are going to be into an alternate universe of the actual One Piece world. This means that everyone is going to have to yell at me if I begin to sound too much like the manga and all should expect an eventual murdering the plotline. Take the flaming invitation to heart. Not many people want to be flamed. Thanks to **_White Butterfly_**-san, **_Sakura_**-chan and **_weixuan_**-san for reviewing last chapter!

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Jaya Arc: _Enter Adventure_

Due to the storm, it took the Mugiwara Kaizokudan the entire day to clean up the _Merry Go_. It was hard work filled with hauling off heavy driftwood and clumps of dead seaweed and unusable fish. Nami and Robin did virtually no work at all, but whenever the guys would begin to show even the slightest sign of slacking, Nami would pull out the Den Den Mushi and threaten to call Gormal's aunt. Everyone was finished in time for supper and the entire ship was able to sleep easily due to the superfluous excess of physical labor. Even Gormal slept peacefully, despite the agitated glares he had received the entire day.

Immediately the next day they began searching for Yume. From sunrise to sunset for ten whole days, the Mugiwara Kaizokudan did nothing but search for their overboard crewmate. In the end, Gormal and Maon had to salute the setting sun, tears streaming down their faces; she was never coming back.

The few weeks that had to follow this however were peaceful; too peaceful for the comfort of the crew of the _Merry Go. _The entire crew had all become quite restless since the storm that took away Yume had come and gone and they were now on edge, ready for action to jump up and slap them in the face.

"Naaaaamiii..." Luffy whined. "How much longer until the next island!?" The straw-hatted boy shuffled over to his navigator and slumped over on the table she was working on.

"Jaya is coming up soon," Nami growled, annoyed at the fact that it was the fifth time that hour that Luffy had bothered her. "Now if you don't leave me alone, I'll drown you before we get there!"

"Kya!" Luffy screamed mockingly, making fun of the ginger-haired woman's threat. He scuttled off and tried to find someone to play with.

"He's so annoying!" Nami hissed, sighing out of frustration. Robin calmly walked up to the navigator and sat down with a rather lengthy history book.

"Captain-san being himself today?" she asked with a sigh.

"You have no idea," Nami replied blandly. "Still, I can barely wait to go to Jaya. It is supposed to be a spring island..."

"Oi Nami!" Zoro called out from the other side of the ship. "Is it supposed to rain!?"

"No, why?" Nami shouted back. She heard the tickling of small objects hitting the deck of the ship. Looking up, her eyes began to grow wide with fright.

"This doesn't feel like rain, baka marimo," Sanji spat, holding out his hand and letting the objects hit his hand. In the other, he had a pair of drinking glasses filled with lemonade for Nami and Robin.

"Everyone! Grab onto something!" Nami screeched, running over to the mast and grabbing hold. The others looked up and panicked as an extremely large ship falling down from the sky came into sight as it appeared to be coming down upon them.

"What in the...?!" Sanji gasped as he grabbed onto the railing. The other ship came crashing into the water besides them, dwarfing the _Merry Go_ twenty-fold. The smaller ship bobbed up and down in the water, nearly falling prey to several large waves.

"KYYYAAAA!!!" everyone screamed as they tried to stay clung to the ship. The little caravel tossed and convulsed in the wild water, yet everyone held on through it all. Once the sea settled, the Mugiwara Kaizokudan began to stir and stare at the sinking wreckage.

"What in the name of Avalon was that!?" Maon asked, rushing over to the side railing and examining the other ship's sinking keel. "That ship was positively gigantic!"

"Tch. It was only a galleon," Gormal said sternly, watching as the waves claimed another masted victim. "Those ships are more particular to before the Age of Piracy that we're in right now. They're slightly rarer now than in the past considering now pirates prefer small to midsize ships and crews, but you still can find them in military service or in the larger fleets." Sanji, Zoro and Chopper looked at him suspiciously.

"Correct Deck Hand-san," Robin said, walking over to some debris that had washed up onto the deck. "You sure do know a lot about the ship."

"My Auntie Mordag studied history in the West Blue for a while when she was a traveler. She taught that stuff to my cousin Meadhbh and myself when we were just young tots after our fathers left."

"I see..." Robin said as she pried open a box using her Hana Hana no Mi. Inside the box was a skeleton with bone fragments scattered everywhere.

"What are you doing messing with the dead!?" Usopp cringed, hiding behind Zoro. The swordsman scowled and watched as Robin collected some of the bone fragments from the coffin.

"Did you find something?" the swordsman asked coldly.

"Yes," the archaeologist said in a rather pleased manner as she put together the bone fragments. When she was done, a skull sat on the deck before her.

"That's amazing!" Sanji exclaimed. "You put it back together!"

"There is a hole here that is not natural," Robin observed, pointing at a space in the skull that was not enclosed by bone.

"Someone get clubbed to death?" Gormal asked.

"No. It is a kind of surgery called trepanation, right Doctor-san?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Chopper piped up, peeking at the skull from behind the mast. "It was used a long time ago to treat illnesses and stuff!"

"See? My guess is that this man died of illness while at sea around two hundred years ago at about the age of thirty. His teeth are still even in tact, thanks to the rubber oil on them; a custom particular to a certain area in the South Blue." She opened a book and began scanning the pages.

"Wow, you can get all that from just looking at a skull?" Nami marveled.

"That and more," Robin said. "Look at this. _Saint Breeze _from the Kingdom of Breeze. It sailed two hundred and eight years ago, yet never returned."

"I think we have a match," Gormal said, glancing at the book Robin had open on her lap. "Now, where did it come from?"

"The sky, idiot," Zoro scoffed.

"I know that!" Gormal snapped.

"Ano... guys..." Nami said, her eyes staring at her wrist. Everyone looked at the navigator as she gasped at her Log Pose. The needle was pointing straight upwards.

"Ah, it must have locked onto a 'Sky Island'," Robin said, closing her book and standing up. "I have always heard of such events, but never witnessed one."

"An island in the sky?" Maon wondered, gazing up at the many fluffy white clouds above.

"Impossible, the Log Pose must be broken," Nami said, shaking the device attached to her wrist.

"The Log Pose is never broken," Robin said. She tried to get another word in, but was interrupted by a certain red-vested teen running around the ship blindly.

"Help me! Help me! Get it off!" the yelled, pointing at what had lodged itself over his face… a human skull.

"Oh, it must have fallen off the other ship and onto Luffy," Gormal said blandly as Luffy ran into the mast, cracking the skull into pieces. Luffy fell onto his back and a piece of paper floated down onto his face that had been stuck inside the old skull.

"I'm going to go train, this is boring me," Zoro said dully. Sanji raised a curly eyebrow as the swordsman slunk off on his own.

"Nami!!!" Luffy cheered. "Nami! Nami! Nami…!" He got up and his eyes glittered over the piece of paper.

"What Luffy?" the navigator snapped, still shaking the Log Pose.

"I wanna go here!" the boy-captain smiled, shoving the paper in Nami's face. Nami looked at the paper and gasped.

"Luffy? Where'd you get this?"

"What is it Nami?" Usopp asked, looking over the woman's shoulder.

"'_Skypiea'_" she said, holding the map out at a distance so that the others could also see the faded paper.

"By George," Maon breathed, his eyes bugging out.

"Is it really real Nami?" Chopper asked.

"I wonder how one would go to it," Sanji mused. Nami simply got frustrated and crumpled the map angrily.

"It's got to be a fake," she said, throwing the paper ball over her shoulder.

"Nami! It has to be real!" Luffy whined. "I wanna go there! We have the map!"

"Luffy! Islands in the sky?! Impossible!"

"Nami!"

"We're not going!" Nami snapped, seemingly resolute in her decision.

"Nami, I'm captain and I say that we find Skypiea," Luffy said, uncrinkling the paper the best that he could. "Come on! It'll be fun! Besides, you would be the only person with an island in the sky on their map!" He watched impatiently as Nami began pondering and suddenly came to a epiphany.

"I have a different idea," Nami smirked. "Hey Usopp, remember those devices you and Maon were working on last week?"

"Yeah, what about them?" the marksman asked.

"Bring them out."

"If you say so," Usopp sighed. Both he and Maon disappeared into the hold and came back out dragging three large barrels and a large contraption that resembled a bicycle-powered pump.

"What are we going to do Nami?" Chopper asked, eyeing the pump with suspicion.

"It's not what 'we' are going to do, it's what Zoro, Sanji-kun and Gormal are going to do," Nami smiled. Instantly, her head snapped in the direction of the deck where Zoro was working out and her mood changed in an instant. "ZORO! YOU GET YOUR REAR DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"

"What is it now you witch!?" Zoro whined as he dropped his weights.

"Come here! You have a job to do!" Zoro cringed as soon as he saw the barrels and pump.

"No way!" he protested. No matter how much the swordsman complained and threatened, however, he still ended up standing on the edge of the ship with one of the barrels on top of his head after all was said and done.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Gormal muttered as he fidgeted inside of his own uncomfortable barrel.

"Oh Nami-swan, what, may I ask, are we going to be finding for you?"

"Just take a wild guess Sanji-kun," Nami said sweetly as she watched Sanji get ready to jump off the side.

"Gold," said the rest of the crew simultaneously. Nami huffed and glared at the guilty party sourly.

"Fine, but that ship is over two hundred years old! It could have treasure on it! Treasure that could pay back some fairly substantial tabs that are owed..."

"Zoro! What are you waiting for! You need to go pay off our tabs!" Usopp said quickly, shoving the green-haired man off the side of the ship. The sniper looked over the side and saw Zoro make a very rude hand gesture towards him as he crashed into the water.

"Well, I guess that we had better go join him," Gormal sighed. He and Sanji both jumped off the side of the _Merry Go_ and landed in the sea. Down the three men descended into the briny depths; all the while, an enlarged Chopper turning the crank on the pump to feed them more air and more tubing.

"Hey! Are you lot okay down there!?" Maon shouted down the tubing.

"Yeah! Now quit your screaming!" Gormal barked.

"Hey, are we supposed to meet up with sea snakes?" Zoro asked.

"Hey look Marimo-Brain," Sanji chuckled. "I see a giant green lump down there. Has you mother come to visit?"

"Ero-bastard. I'll kill you when we surface."

"Try me."

"Stop bickering!" Nami ordered. She grabbed the middle and rightmost tubes and began yelling into them. "We have no time for your silly arguments now! Before long you won't even be able to hear each other! There's work to do! Now get to it!"

"Hai Nami-swan!!" Sanji swooned.

"Shut your trap, woman. We're getting to it," Zoro scoffed. Irked, Nami yanked on Zoro's tube until she could hear the swordsman curse in surprise. Right before the enraged woman was able to tie the rope as a temporary reminder to Zoro about why she should not be crossed, an arm blossomed from her own and knocked away the tube, allowing Zoro to move freely and more importantly, breathe.

"Stop thinking irrationally Navigator-san," Robin sighed, looking over the side of the ship to where the three tubes crept into the sea below. "That was an answer Swordsman-san does not usually give you. We know he's a bit crude, but normally not to that extent."

"Whatever," Nami puffed. She was about to bark some more orders down the tubes when a sound in the distance cut her off.

_Sal-vage!_

"What was that?" Chopper asked, keeping a firm hold on the pump.

_Sal-vage! Sal-vage!_

"I don't know..." Nami replied, looking around for the source of the sound.

_Sal-vage! Sal-vage! Sal-vage!_

"Uhh... Maon?"

"What is it Usopp?"

_Sal-vage! Sal-vage! Sal-vage! Sal-vage!_

"Do you see what I see...?"

"A giant monkey in gaudy cover-alls?"

"Good. That means that I haven't gone crazy."

_Sal-vage! Sal-vage! Sal-vage! Sal-vage! Sal-vage!_

A rather large ship pulled up alongside the _Merry Go_, dwarfing the caravel in comparison. The prow was adorned with a ridiculously large chibi monkey holding cymbals big enough to flatten even Chopper's human form easily. On the deck, an ape-man stood proudly, seemingly trying to show off.

"Stop the ship!" he cried out. "Oook! This is where the ship sunk! We must salvage immediately!" His crew members cheered, clashing cymbals and singing joyously.

"Great, who is this character?" Nami groaned.

"That's Salvage King Masira," Maon said, scratching his chin. "He's got a hefty bounty on his head too, if I'm not mistaken."

"How large of a bounty would you call 'hefty' Musician-san?" Robin asked.

"Anything over twenty million," Maon nodded. "I'm used to bounties from the Four Seas though, so Masira's twenty-three million is impressive to me. On the Grand Line though, the bounty is almost a starter value for some."

"Maon, you do realize how much Luffy, Zoro and Robin are worth, right?" Nami asked blandly.

"Speaking of Luffy, where is he?" Usopp asked. "I thought he was right there behind me."

"Sanji left out Luffy's lunch so that he doesn't bother us and mess this up," Nami explained.

"I know how much they are worth," Maon sighed, continuing on with conversation before the tangent on their captain. "Just remember though, bounties reflect the potential threat an individual poses to the Elder Stars and the World Government. Power alone might as well count for nothing. A scrawny little weakling can be worth twice as much as Zoro or Luffy, provided he proved to have the ability to topple the World Order easier. To put it simply, it's just a matter of…"

"Oook! Stop ignoring me!" Masira half-cried-half-shouted, reminding the Mugiwara Kaizokudan that he was on the other ship. They looked over and saw him waving wildly with a large grin across his face.

"Great..." Nami sighed as she watched the ape-man blush at the attention.

"Alright crew!" Masira announced as soon as he stopped waving at the occupants of the _Merry Go_. "Just pretend that those people are not there or one of our own or something. Having them watching shouldn't make us nervous!"

"Right Boss!" came the unanimous answer from the crew. Every member of Masira's crew began bustling about, tending to their own specific tasks.

"**_NOW LET'S SALVAGE THAT SHIP!_**"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Random Gormal Knowledge: His ability to do this is going to become significant... and before I get any complaints, he is not going to even have a chance to come close to replace Robin, so don't even think about it.

Masira: One of the most adorable monkeys ever! He can't beat Luffy, but those overalls make him a sure contender! -squee-

Maon's Bounty Spiel: Being formerly in an assassin trio, he has a very good idea about who out there has bounties on their heads and how the system works. In the Blue Seas, they are more based on strength than ability to defy the World Order, while on the Grand Line and all, it is more of a threat basis. Maon's so not a newb at this and neither am I.

* * *

Edits: None that I can remember.


	22. Monkey Business

Here comes March, in with the snow, freezing rain and who-knows-what pounding all over the place. That is why I like to stay inside and write. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks to **_weixuan_**-san, **_White Butterfly_**-san, **_Sakura_**-chan and **_Ryo_**-kun.

* * *

**Illicit Memoires**

Jaya Arc: _Monkey Business_

Down below, Zoro, Sanji and Gormal had reached the sea floor and were exploring around inside the ship. The light from above the surface had been dimmed substantially from the fact that they were in the water, leaving the three men to wander around upon their own devices. There were many different trinkets and baubles to left to discover inside the sunken _Saint Breeze_. Some of them crumbled to dust in their hands when touched. What did not, often went in the sacks that Nami had provided for them. Soon, there were some rather bulging sacks filled to the seams with treasure that the three guys were sure would satisfy Nami.

Sanji looked over at Gormal and Zoro and pointed upwards, signaling that they should resurface. Gormal held up his thumb in agreement and Zoro stayed silent. They were about to exit the hold of the ship when suddenly the entire structure began to rumble and quake, tossing them about.

"What in the hell!?" Zoro cursed.

"Nami-swan! What's going on up there!?" Sanji called out. A metal claw crashed through the wall and nearly skewered both the chef and Gormal. Zoro reached for his swords, but found that his reaction time was positively nothing in the water compared to his lightning-fast speed normally.

"Nami!" Gormal shouted. "Answer us! What is going on up there!?" He looked up and saw the shadow of a second, much larger boat at a standstill next to the _Merry Go_. Panicking, he began to tug on his tube, trying to alert the attention of those who were still on the boat. "NAMI! WHAT IN THE NAME OF DAVY JONES IS GOING ON UP THERE!?!?"

**80808080808080808**

Above sea level, the rest of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan, sans Luffy, were simply staring in wonder and surprise. The giant ornate chibi monkey had been lowered on a chain and was now hovering only a few meters above the surface of the water, right over the place where the metal claw had dropped. It was a sight to see as the pirates on the larger ship scuttled about, preparing a labyrinth of tubes for a curiously unknown use.

"See? Isn't my ship amazing?" Masira grinned, smiling broadly at the Mugiwara Kaizokudan. Usopp arched an eyebrow in doubt.

"What are you going to do with that pump?" he asked. "You can't expect to inflate the ship up to the surface."

Masira's jaw dropped at the sniper's observation. The rest of Masira's crew fell down out of shock.

"You figured out the secret of my prow's decoration?"

"Well, it's not all that hard, considering how it is now positioned over the water and all," Usopp grinned. "It is a little obvious."

"Well, that makes it all the more better!" Masira chortled, deflecting Usopp's victory and posing for a picture. "Now, just watch! My crew and I will amaze you with our wonderful ability to raise a ship by inflating it!"

"You've got to be kidding me…" Nami grumbled.

"Well, he does seem enthusiastic about it, doesn't he?" Robin smiled.

"Quite so," Maon agreed, nodding his head deftly.

"That monkey seems to be a little off to me," Nami sighed.

"You think I'm a monkey!?" Masira blushed, scratching the back of his head and chuckling nervously. "How flattering…"

"Of course you're a monkey! You're a giant ape-man!" Nami snapped.

"Oi! Nami! Answer us!" shouted Zoro through the tubing. "What going on up there!? We're being attacked down here!"

"Don't answer them!" Nami hissed at Usopp and Maon who went over to the tubes, prepared to yell warnings down to their nakama. "Masira has no clue to the fact that they're down there!"

"What are you guys talking about!?" Masira called out.

"None of your blooming business!" Maon replied.

"I was asking the _hot _redheaded **_girl_**, thank you!"

"You're askin' for it!"

"Just shut up you stupid monkey!" Nami snapped. Masira blushed and began scratching the back of his head.

"Oook! She called me a monkey," he smiled.

"That's not supposed to be a compliment, you know," Usopp sighed.

"Oh well! Lower the pump!" Masira ordered to his crew. He was answered with a round of cheers and yawps. The chibi monkey was lowered and the underlings scuttled about and everyone seemed to, disturbingly enough, have their own tube.

"They aren't…" Maon groaned.

"_Ich_!" Masira shouted.

"They are," Robin smiled.

"_Ni_!"

"What about the guys down below!?" asked Chopper.

"_San_! _SHI_! _**GO**!_" Masira took a large breath of air and then blew into the tube, sending air down below to the ship. Nami and Usopp's eyes twitched as the other crew began to follow their captain's example.

"Hey, what's going on out here?" Luffy asked as he bounced out of the galley, a rack of half-eaten meat still in hand. He stared at Masira's ship in wide-eyed amazement. "Wow… what's that?"

"That's the ship of Salvage King Masira," Maon explained. "He's trying to bring up the _Saint Breeze_ using air."

"You mean I _am _bringing the _Saint Breeze_ up with air!" Masira laughed. "Oook! I have a new admirer for the best part!" He struck a pose and after he thought they took his picture, he dived into the sea, going straight to the rising _Saint Breeze_ and to unknowing danger.

**80808080808080808**

"Shit! What is going on here!?" Sanji cursed as the sunken _Saint Breeze _began to rumble. "Wasn't being a hair's breadth away from becoming shish-kabob bad enough!?"

"This is ridiculous!" Gormal groaned.

"…and I thought I was going to die when Nami cut off my air…" Zoro grumpily mused. He glanced outside and saw the faint outlines of something moving in the water from far away and some things that appeared to be attached to the ship. He did not even try to tell Sanji and Gormal of his findings, for he still could not hear anything either man said anymore and thought of it as a useless chore. To make it worse, Nami was not answering him, so he figured the pumps were abandoned or something to that effect.

Then, out of nowhere, the ship's floor began to thrust upward, bringing the three men's feet to the boards. A breaking of planks could be heard from a ways off and the water level in the room began to go down. Soon, Zoro, Sanji and Gormal were only ankle-deep in water and they were able to take off their barrels.

"What was that…?" Gormal asked, shaking his head vigorously. He cracked his neck and nudged his sack of various articles, the contents making clear clinking noises.

"I don't know. Now the question is how this ship is rising up again," Sanji said. "Why won't Nami-swan and the others answer us?"

"My guess is that they're trying to control Luffy or something," Zoro muttered, stretching out to relax.

"I highly doubt that, Marimo-Baka," Sanji scoffed. "Come on, let's go before something…"

Sanji was just about to finish his sentence when Masira smashed his way into the room. He was rather wet and surprised the three human men in his presence.

"Who are you?" Zoro asked, raising his eyebrow. Masira nearly had a seizure when he saw the sacks of gold that the strangers had acquired… without his permission.

"How dare you!" he bellowed. "Any ship in these waters is my salvaging property! So that's why that little ship up above was just sitting there in the middle of the sea! Trying to beat me to it, oook!?"

"What in the hell is that!?" Gormal asked, clearly taken aback by Masira's appearance. "It looks like a giant monkey!"

"I am Masira, the one they all call the Salvage King!" Masira growled, his upper lip curling into a sneer. "Now, put down my property and leave if you value your lives!"

"You're crazy," Zoro scoffed, drawing the Wado. He then grunted in pain and clutched his forehead with his free hand as Kuina began yelling inside his head about how "cute and adorable" Masira looked in his overalls. Zoro tried to respond to her mentally, but ended up muttering in a low tone instead. "Tch, I never knew you could be so feminine…"

"You're going to pay for that!" Masira snapped, ready to snap Zoro's neck. Masira was only able to take one step before the rest of the ship began to rumble and quake, sending the four pirates to the floor.

"Oh, now what!?" Gormal snarled as the sound of rushing water could be heard outside.

"This can't be good!" Masira gasped. "This was not part of the plan!"

**80808080808080808**

Nami, Robin, Usopp, Chopper, Luffy and Maon stood there in shock, along with the remainder of Masira's crew. A gargantuan sea turtle had surfaced and had the _Saint Breeze _in its snappy jowls, having mistaken the old ship for food. A low groan was heard from the turtle's innards, causing Chopper to gasp in horror.

"What did he say, Chopper?" Usopp asked, nudging the reindeer-man.

"He said that the ship tastes like crap and he's going to find more food!" Chopper wailed.

"What's so bad about that…?" Maon asked. "He spits out the others and goes on his merry way. What's so bad about that?"

"I don't think that he's not going to spit them out Maon…" Chopper blanched.

"Cut the tubes! We're going to be sucked under!" Nami panicked, searching for a knife.

"You're cruel, Navigator-san," Robin scolded. Nami completely ignored her.

"I'll get them," Luffy said, stretching out his arms and flinging himself towards the sea turtle's mouth.

"Luffy! What are you doing!?" Usopp shouted as his captain flew over the ocean's surface. The straw-hatted teen simply disappeared into the sea turtle's mouth and everything was silent.

"I got it!" Nami cheered as she held up a knife triumphantly. She ran over to the pump, but Maon and Usopp grabbed her.

"You are a cold-hearted witch!" Usopp said, his voice strained.

"Banshee! Your soul is darker than the night sea!" Maon snarled.

"NAMI-SWAN!!!" shouted Sanji's voice. The remaining crew on the _Merry Go_ looked up and saw Sanji gliding down the tubing with Luffy and his bag of treasure attached to his back and standing up. He surfed down the tube with Gormal and Zoro close behind, the deck hand using his sash to slide down and Zoro making use of Yubashiri's scabbard.

"Oh! Thank heaven you bastards are alright!" Chopper said happily. As soon as the four men tumbled on the deck, Nami grabbed hold of Zoro's white sword and slashed through the tubes with ease, sending them snapping off towards the sea turtle and far away from the _Merry Go_.

"Oi! That's my sword!" Zoro snapped, snatching back the Wado and angrily sheathing it. He gave Nami a glare and she proceeded to punch him in the arm.

"OOOK!" Masira roared, silencing any form of argument between the Mugiwara Kaizokudan as he jumped onto the deck of the _Merry Go_. "THESE ARE MY WATERS! ANYONE CAUGHT TRYING TO STEAL FROM ME IS SENTENCED TO PERISH!"

"Now I think I know why he's got that bounty on his head," Usopp gulped.

"I agree," Maon squeaked. "Let's go…" Both men tried to run away to safety below deck, but Gormal and Sanji held them back by their collars.

"Maon, you wanted to stay with this crew, so you're going to stay though to the end, got that?" Gormal grunted.

"I don't even have words for you, Coward," Sanji spat. Maon and Usopp stopped running and sat there on the deck, feeling quite trumped.

"Hey, what's going on here…?" Nami asked, looking up at the sky as it grew darker rapidly, the sun becoming near entirely blocked out. "There's no storm coming, but the sky's getting darker by the second!"

"How come that's happening? It's only about midday," Maon puffed.

"Now face my wrath!" Masira shouted, making sure that he was not forgotten due to the lack of light. He hopped over to the _Merry Go_ and was poised to attack when he could hear the frightened cries from his crewmates.

"C-C-C-Capt-t-t-tain!" they stammered. "**_DANGER!_**"

"Oook?" Masira asked, turning to look at his crew. He stopped in mid-spin, however, and his eyes grew wide.

"Oh, shit," Zoro cursed, looking in the direction Masira was.

"I've never heard of anything like this," Robin gasped.

"Of all the things..." Nami panicked, beginning to back away.

Standing before the two ships and the large sea turtle were the darkened figures of winged warriors, standing many hundreds, possibly thousands, of meters taller than normal giants. There were five of them in all and each one carried a spear with a barbed tip. No one could see the warriors' faces, but all were sure that they had malicious grins plastered across their lips... even the sea turtle.

"MONSTERS!!!!!" Luffy and Masira screamed at the top of their lungs.

"We need to get the _Merry Go_ away from here!" Chopper squealed, having reverted back to his normal size in his state of shock.

"Come on! Let's hop to it!" Usopp said, messing with the rigging. For once, his nakama did not complain about him being cowardly and quickly complied to his request. Making haste, they had the _Merry Go_ scuttle away from the large, dark monsters and once they were in sunlight, finally stopped to rest.

"This has been such an odd day," Sanji sighed, collapsing on the deck.

"You're telling me," Gormal scoffed. "A galleon nearly flattened us."

"We met a strange crew with an even stranger captain," Robin sighed.

"The sky went dark and the Log Pose won't stop pointing upwards," Nami said with a worried look.

"Yeah, don't you hate days like these?" Masira asked. Everyone looked over to see the ape-man sitting there on the deck as if he was one of their crew. Gormal, Zoro and Sanji's eyes twitched. All three men charged Masira and delivered a three-way punch-kick that launched Masira off the deck and out of sight.

"Nami," Luffy said quietly, still in shock over the large creatures. "How are we going to get to the next island?"

"I don't know Luffy," Nami said morosely. She stared at the Log Pose and sighed, until and arm sprouted up next to her holding an Eternal Pose. "Robin? What's this?"

"Something I just borrowed from the Salvage King," the archaeologist smiled.

"More like you lifted from him," Maon scolded.

"Well, it looks like we can still get to another island," Nami smiled broadly. She snatched the Eternal Pose from Robin's hand and looked at the name engraved in the wooden base. "Jaya, here we come."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The Shadow Monsters: -grins-


	23. Mock Town

I calculated roughly how many chapters I might have once this is all done and over with: a hundred twenty at the least. That's after _eliminating Davy Back Fight _and successfully butchering the Skypiea arc, which is what I've been doing the past few months and just finished today. How long might this entire story take? Another two years or so, provided I at one point go to an update a week and bonus chapters on holidays and stuff like that. Crazy, eh? Quit now and I'll send Chuck Norris after you... or Gecko Moria. Whichever is more available. I do not own _One Piece_. Review props go to **_weixuan_**-san and **_White Butterfly_**-san.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Jaya Arc: _Mock Town_

"So this is what you three brought back!? Junk!?!?!" Nami scolded as Sanji, Gormal and Zoro unpacked their sacks of treasure. Most of their findings consisted of rusty swords, armor, dishes and trinkets. Four octopuses had snuck into Gormal's sack and were currently trying to use their suckers to tear off his face, so he was completely unaware of the wrath Nami was currently doling out. The navigator attempted to throw the salvaged items overboard, yet were being met with protest from Zoro and Sanji.

"Nami-swan! We did not bring back junk!" Sanji whimpered. "We brought you back only the best we could find!"

"Yeah! Come on! We brought back swords!" Zoro tried to reason.

"What good are dishes and corroded swords going to do me!?" Nami snapped, not noticing that Luffy was now wandering around the ship in a rusted suit of armor from Gormal's bag. "I meant to find things like a diary or a logbook! At least Robin still understands me and got that Eternal Pose…"

"…how's that?" Gormal asked, finally able to free himself from the octopus. Nami shot him an evil glare that could have had a bounty all on its own.

"You morons should know by now what treasure is," she growled. Gormal cringed and scuttled over to hide behind Sanji.

"Oh Nami-swan, you look so pretty when you're angry!" Sanji swooned.

"Wait a second," Usopp piped up, having yet to notice Nami's rage. "Wouldn't the Log Pose reset once we reach Jaya?"

"He does have a point you know," Maon added.

"Well, that just means that we have to finish our business quickly and leave Jaya before the Log Pose sets, that's all," Nami said, quite calm and collected now. "It should be easy enough."

"I guess as long as Jaya's set time isn't a few hours, which it could be," Robin said.

"Wait… the Log Pose might reset!?" Luffy whined. He went and tugged on Nami's arm like a brother would. "I wanna go to Sky Island!"

"How do you suppose we get there? Flying?" Nami asked her captain.

"Ano…"

"Exactly. The only way to get to Sky Island is to ask around about how to get there." The ginger-haired woman seemed very proud of her reasoning, though it clearly confused Luffy.

"I don't want it to reset though…" he said.

"We need to go to Jaya to find information on Sky Island," Zoro grunted. "Otherwise, we're gonna be lost again. Remember how it was after we left Koby at the Marine base?"

"Oh, yeah," Luffy said, it finally clicking. Being lost meant drifting for a while with no food and ended with having to fight some really creepy clown guy that had a complex about his nose. "To Jaya!"

"That's the spirit!" Nami laughed.

"To Jaya!" Luffy, Usopp and Moan sang. Robin smiled as she watched a good part of the crew dance around merrily. She knew something awaited them on Jaya, she just failed to have the heart to tell them.

"Jaya is a springtime island, right?" Chopper asked. Nami nodded in agreement. "Yay! I can feel the nice warm air. It feels so good." He looked at some seagulls flying by and smiled. "Even the birds seem to like it."

Suddenly, a pair of birds fell down from the sky and landed right on Chopper's hat. Both were bleeding and within seconds from death. The startled reindeer squealed and went to hide behind the mast. The rest of the crew watched on in silence as the birds quickly died.

"Whoa..." Usopp gasped.

"Did anyone hear a gun?" Sanji asked, walking up and nudging the dead birds with his foot.

"I would have," Gormal said grimly. "Guns are one of my specialties. Normally I can hear gunfire from about a league's distance if I'm paying attention. Someone would have to possess an extremely powerful and accurate firearm to cleanly kill something from such a distance."

"Is it even possible?" Sanji asked.

"Of course it is!" Usopp said happily, stars in his eyes. "Whoever shot those birds must be an expert marksman to have done that! We couldn't even hear anything!"

"That's just more than a little creepy," Zoro stated. "That means that the guy that just killed those birds could kill us as well."

"You've got a point there Swordsman-san," Robin said. "We all should take extra precaution while on Jaya, correct?" Everyone else stared at the seagulls and nodded their heads in agreement.

**80808080808080808**

"So this is Jaya," Usopp gulped, looking around the port they had just docked in. He looked around to see rowdy pirates everywhere. Some were fighting. Some were drunk. Some were fighting _while_ drunk. Others were going about from place to place conducting business, but it was the overzealous that made the town seem rather intimidating. That was why everyone but Luffy and Zoro were still standing on the deck of the ship.

"Oh come on now, Usopp, this place looks like fun!" Luffy smiled, walking towards the town's edge.

"Yeah. Looks like there's a lot of really strong people here!"

"Uh, guys...?" Nami asked as Zoro and Luffy began to walk away. "Wait a second! Get back here!" When the men failed to answer her, she jumped off the ship and began running after them. "Gormal! Sanji! Help me out here!"

"Coming!" Gormal answered, jumping off the _Merry Go_ and rushing over to where Nami was chasing down their captain and first mate. Sanji was just about to leave when both of his feet suddenly became planted on the boards. He looked down to see Maon and Usopp clinging onto his ankles, keeping him securely in place.

"Don't go!" Usopp wailed.

"What if the ship's attacked while you're gone!?" Maon cried.

"You twits! That's why you're here! Protect the ship and Robin-chwan!" Sanji snapped, trying to shake off his nakama.

"Ano... Robin's not here," Chopper piped up. Sanji, Usopp and Maon looked back at him and groaned at the little reindeer. Chopper did not lie about things like that.

"Well, then I guess I have to stay here and protect the women and children," Sanji grumbled with a sigh, walking off towards the galley to make some lunch for everyone that was left. The chef was nailed in the back of the head with some small rock Maon had randomly in his pocket and thus muttered something under his breath.

**80808080808080808**

"Now I want you three to promise me that you won't get into any fights," Nami scolded. Luffy, Zoro and Gormal just looked at the surroundings they were thrust into, the excitement of Mock Town heightening their spirits. A man stood on a rooftop, proclaiming loudly that he wanted strong fighters to challenge him. Random fistfights from the inside of the taverns would erratically find their way into the streets. A half-dead drunk landed right in front of Nami and Zoro, the redhead jumping out of surprise and unconsciously stepping behind Zoro.

"Hey there," a man on a horse wheezed at Luffy and Gormal. He coughed up some blood and his horse followed suit.

"Hey mate, you alright there?" Gormal asked, his eyebrow arched. The man grinned and produced from his coat, a basket of bright red apples.

"Here, take one," he smiled through the blood dripping from his mouth. Luffy grinned broadly and took a piece of fruit. Gormal watched as the sickly man gained a wicked expression to his face.

"Wait, Luffy!" Gormal gasped, reaching for the apple. He was too late and the boy-captain already took a large bite of the fruit.

"What Gormal?" Luffy asked. Just then, a store front about twenty feet down the crooked lane exploded, sending wood and debris everywhere.

"You are very lucky, boy," the sickly man chuckled, slowly riding off on his horse. Nami took Luffy's apple and threw it off towards the explosion.

"Be careful!" she snapped. "Do you realize that you were just nearly killed for no reason!?"

"Hey, leave him alone," Zoro said.

"Minna, why don't we go over there," Gormal suggested, pointing towards a quiet-seeming place just off the main of the street. "We can argue over there, since I doubt we want to run into any more trouble just standing here."

"Sure," Nami said, grabbing Luffy's ear and dragging him over to the clear area. It was quiet and devoid of chaos. Nami became distracted by the serenity of the place and forgot all about the fact that she was about to smack Luffy across the face. Where they were just happened to be in a luxurious resort hotel; seemingly old-fashioned in some places and modern in others. All sorts of exotic plants were scattered about, giving more the feel of a summer paradise then a springtime island.

"I wonder why it's so quiet," Gormal mused.

"I don't know," Zoro muttered, his hand finding the hilt of his white sword. "All I know is that I don't like it one bit."

"Oh, no! Customers! At such a bad time!" wailed a voice. The four pirates looked over to see a short, squat and rather peculiar man who was constantly swaying about scuttle up to them. "I apologize, but you must leave here at once!"

"Yeah, get lost," scoffed someone before Nami could interject. They looked over to the entrance to see a tall, muscular man standing there, his arm wrapped around the shoulder of a very pretty woman. Both were gaudily dressed and carried an air about them that screamed the fact that they were jerks... loudly.

"Who are you?" Zoro asked, his hand still resting on the Wado's hilt.

"Like it matters to you," the woman sneered. "Now get lost you foul-smelling cretins. We paid good money to buy this place out for us and our crew."

"Well said," her companion laughed. He dug into his pocket and took out some money, casually tossing it at the feet of the other pirates. "Here. Get yourselves something decent and stop stinking up the joint." Luffy bent down to simply look at the money, but Nami grabbed his arm and began to storm away.

"Those pompous jerks," she huffed, dragging Luffy out into the street, Gormal and Zoro close behind.

"Just drop it," Zoro muttered as they walked into a tavern.

"They were so awful though!" Nami replied. The four sat down at the bar and all ordered drinks while Luffy decided to order some meat as well.

"Some pirates are just going to be like that, Nami," Gormal sighed. "I mean, there are arses and then there are the ones that should just be tarred and feathered."

"Yeah, like you," Zoro muttered into his drink.

"Hey, I'm staying along until I feel that you guys won't harm Maon. Then I'm taking off," the deck hand scoffed. "I don't care about anything else, just as long as my nakama's safe. Wouldn't you do the same for one of your own?"

"I guess," Zoro shrugged. He knew that Gormal's was one of the worst lies he had ever heard, even beating some of Usopp's excuses.

"Oh boy!" Luffy laughed. "This meat is so good!"

"This meat is horrible!" moaned the man sitting next to him. Luffy looked at him out of the corner of his eyes and glared.

"This grog is great!" the boy-captain smiled as he took a drink.

"Ah! Tastes like piss!" bellowed the man after downing his own mug. He and Luffy stood up and got in one another's faces and growled, ready to start a bar fight.

"Luffy! Stop that!" Nami snapped. "Remember what you promised!"

"Nami…" Luffy hissed through clenched teeth. "This is about food. This doesn't count."

"Oh, for the love of…!" Nami sighed, smacking her forehead with her palm. She was ready to drag away her captain when suddenly, the other man simply gasped as if sensing something and walked out of the tavern. The four younger pirates just watched as he disappeared out into the street.

"Well, that was strange," Zoro shrugged, going back to his mug of grog.

"What an odd bloke," Gormal observed. He took a large drink of grog and stared at the last little bit that came to collect on the bottom of the mug. "Then again, I've seen stranger things happen in a bar."

"I bet you have," Zoro said. He was just about to stand up to leave for the ship when the tavern door burst open and a loud voice pierced though the festive air.

"Is there a pirate here with a straw hat!?" he asked. Luffy turned around and looked at the entrance to see a man with sandy hair and a blue coat draped over his shoulders. The smirk on his face was one of amusement and he held clutched in his hand what looked like Luffy's bounty poster from before he defeated Crocodile.

"That would be me," Luffy said, raising his hand slightly and nodding. The man took a quick look between the poster and Luffy just to confirm that the picture was correct.

"Heh. My name is Bellamy the Hyena," the man said, strutting into the establishment. A group of pirates filed in after him, two of whom being the pirates from before at the hotel. "So a little squirt like you is really worth thirty million berri, eh?"

"See, just like I told you Bellamy," the pirate man from the hotel sneered at Luffy and his crew. "Ugh. They're so disgusting they make me sick."

"Holy…!" one of the other patrons gasped, pointing at the man that had just spoken. "What is "Big Knife" Sarquiss doing here!?"

"Surprised to see me?" Sarquiss scoffed with a smile. The man backed away and kept on looking at Sarquiss and Bellamy cautiously, as if he knew to expect something out of them.

"So, what do you want with me?" Luffy asked. Bellamy and Sarquiss returned their attention to the boy-captain and went along with business.

"Alright kid, I'll just cut to the chase," Bellamy said. "I was wondering if you had what it takes to head into the New Age with me."

"New Age?" Zoro asked. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

"The New Age of Piracy that I am going to usher into this world," Bellamy snickered. "A place where those fools chasing dreams are simply food for the worthy. If people just stopped going after such things as One Piece, then the life of a pirate would be twice as fun. There's so much treasure out there all around us, when countless men lose their lives trying to find something that might not even be there."

"One Piece is out there," Luffy said frankly. "One Piece is out there and I'm going to find it and become the Pirate King."

"Oh, that's a shame," Bellamy sighed, rolling his eyes. Then, he went and punched Luffy into the bar. Wood splintered as Luffy's head collided with the wooden counter. Nami released a shrill scream.

"Why you…!" Zoro growled. He drew the Wado and pointed it at Bellamy's throat while Gormal silently drew his gun and trained it for the attacker's skull.

"Zoro… Gormal… don't fight back. Remember what we promised," Luffy said, removing himself from the debris and shaking off the blow.

"…but he attacked you," Gormal muttered, "and part of being a loyal crew member is defending the captain, correct?"

"I don't care. We promised we wouldn't fight, right?"

Now both Gormal and Zoro remembered Nami telling them to not get into a fight, but they also remembered never telling her that they would listen to a word she said. Yet now that Luffy was talking to them, it was a completely different story. Reluctantly, they put away their weapons and glared at Bellamy. Sarquiss chuckled and looked over the three men, stopping on Gormal to sneer.

"Hey, this one looks like that saucy bar bitch back on Rakuen," he noticed upon taking a good, long look. Gormal's nostrils flared and he tried to punch Sarquiss, but Zoro and Luffy held him back.

"You bastard!" Gormal spat. "Don't you ever talk about her like that!" Sarquiss smiled on from his safe distance, enjoying the pure rage bubbling over inside the deck hand's vengeful spirit.

"Gormal, no!" Luffy ordered as he and Zoro held him back. Gormal struggled for a few more moments, but then stopped and allowed himself to be released.

"Bloody prick," he sneered at Sarquiss. Laughing, Sarquiss walked right up to Gormal, drew his large knife and slammed the hilt into Gormal's temple. Gormal was thrown into the floor of the tavern, blood streaming from where Sarquiss had hit him. Nami looked on in horror as Bellamy and his pirate crew began to surround her crewmates. Thinking fast, she turned around to the barkeep and let her mouth run.

"Please," she asked, panic in her voice. "Do you have any information on how to get to Sky Island!?"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Yeah. I don't really have any notes other than: before you know it, I'm headed off into artistic license and cutting up the story. I'll be sure to remember to say if I did something differently than the manga. I'm mostly going off the Japanese release of the manga, so there will most likely be some variation from anime in the plot I have to work off of. So, as you can tell, Gormal was not with Luffy, Nami and Zoro at this time, and there was no mention of Meadhbh back on Rakuen. Remember Meadhbh? If not, take notes.

**Other Works You Might Want to Read If You Like "Illicit Memories"**

"My Nakama, My Cousin": Yume's thoughts as she tries to fight the storm from chapter eighteen (ID: 3426187)


	24. Improbable Dreams

Yeah, I'm so glad I've written ahead of time. School's a bitch. Reviewer thanks go out to **_White Butterfly_**-san and **_weixuan_**-san, because they still care! -harumph- I do not own _One Piece_.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Jaya Arc: _Improbable Dreams_

"Sky Island…?" the barkeep asked Nami. The entire tavern had become quiet. No one dared move, even if it was to hit one of the Mugiwara males.

"Yes. We need to know how to get there!" Nami said, exasperated. "Do you have any sort of information that you can tell us? Please, we need to know!"

Suddenly, the entire tavern burst out into laughter. Gormal stood and shook his now-throbbing head, muttering under his breath.

"You simpletons!" Bellamy laughed. "There is no such thing as an island in the sky!"

"Yeah," chortled one of his crewmates. "Everything in this world can be explained, even that 'Knock-Up Stream'!"

"…but the Log Pose is pointing upwards!" Nami reasoned. This did not stop the laughter in the slightest.

"Those things mess up all the time," Sarquiss snickered. "People get caught in 'Knock-Up Stream' and free-fall to the sea. The Log Pose points upwards and won't reset until they reach Jaya. Fools believe there to be an island floating in the sky. Impossible!"

"Impossible; no. Improbable; you've got it spot on," Gormal stated. "Nothing is impossible, only improbable."

"Hopeless. All of you are just hopeless," Bellamy sighed. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw that his first mate was beginning to become frustrated with the three men. "Chasing after idiotic ideas and dreams is what's going to get you and your entire crew killed quicker than anything else in the Grand Line."

"You stupid weaklings!" Sarquiss roared. "Those ideals of yours are a thing of the past!" He stormed up to Gormal and decked him across the face so hard that he slammed the man into a wall.

"Gormal!" Nami gasped. The ginger-haired woman stared at the sight of Gormal standing up, blood now completely caking the side of his face.

"You know, ideals is what makes this crew what it is," Zoro said, nodding assuringly. One of the other pirates in the direct area, most likely one of Bellamy's subordinate, rushed Zoro and decked him clean across the face. Nami let out a shrill scream as the swordsman's head connected sharply with a wooden beam, splintering it like a toothpick.

"You scared, girl?" Sarquiss smirked, making Nami jump. After a second, the navigator quickly collected herself and let out her own smile.

"Why would I be scared of you?" she asked, straightening her back defiantly. "I belong to one of the strongest crews in the world!" Bellamy meandered up to Luffy and sent him into the ground with a punch.

"I don't see strength," he laughed heartily. "All I see is wet-behind-the-ears, backwater pirates who are never going to make it in the long run." Bellamy walked towards the door of the tavern and said one thing before leaving.

"Make these backwater runts realize what it is to mess with the future rulers of the pirate world."

"...but what about the girl?" Sarquiss asked. He looked over at Nami and ran his eyes up and down her figure. "You wouldn't happen to have a price, would you?"

"I'd be downgrading by teaming up with you jerks," Nami sneered. "I'm already the navigator for the future Kaizoku-ou. Joining forces with you guys would just be a waste of my talents."

"Oh, what a shame," Bellamy snorted. "Sarquiss, you just take good care of the guys for me."

"Sure thing," Sarquiss chortled. He happily walked up to Zoro and repeated the move he had used on Gormal, smashing his knife's hilt into the swordsman's head and drawing blood. He allowed the rest of the crew to take their turns beating on the three men. Soon, Luffy, Zoro and Gormal all fell down to the ground, landing with a thud and splash of blood. Nami rushed over to them and knelt down, checking to see if they were still breathing.

"Come on you guys, try to get up," she hissed, conscious of all the eyes watching the four of them. Zoro groaned when she shook him and Luffy failed to properly respond. Gormal, however, sat up before Nami could touch him and coughed up a bit of blood, spilling it down his front.

"I'm just lucky my auntie's such a violent one," he muttered, a forced smile upon his face. "Tch. Let's get out of here." Nami watched as Gormal struggled to get up onto his feet. The dark-skinned man strained to pick up Luffy and began to walk towards the tavern door in a slow shuffle. Sighing, Nami dragged Zoro along by his collar, jeers following her the entire way to the exit.

"Those jerks," Nami grumbled as she burst out of the door to find that Gormal had already collapsed in the middle of the street. She pulled Zoro along so that he was right next to the captain-deck hand pile and moaned.

"Hey, don't be so down," said a voice. Nami looked over her shoulder to see the man who had been fighting before with Luffy over food sitting in the road, eating off of a large pile of pies.

"What do you want?" Nami asked acidly.

"Just wanted to tell you that you were great in there! Your crewmates too! I haven't seen kids with that much backbone in a long time."

"Well, thanks," Nami said. She looked over at the guys to see that they were already attempting to stand up.

"Forget them," the man said though a bite of pie. "Those fools have no clue as to what they're talking about. Now I may not know a damned thing about an island in the sky, but what I do know is that if it is part of your dream to go there... then go. This world and age is driven by the dreams of Men. People like those morons back there in the bar were just a bunch of pussyfoot scallywags who wouldn't be able to recognize One Piece if it Roger himself put it right in front of them."

"Let's go back to the _Merry_," Luffy coughed, putting his hand on Nami's shoulder. Nami looked at him and silently followed.

"Don't give up on your dreams!" bellowed the man as the four young pirates walked away, the injured ones using one another for support. "Doing exactly what they want is what will kill you faster than anything else you can find in any of the seas! Giving up is not an option if you want to go anywhere! A man's dream will never cease to be!"

"Great," Nami sighed. "We've gotten lectured twice, insulted and beaten to a pulp in this town within a matter of hours. What could possibly be next?"

"Do not jinx our luck Navigator-san," Robin said. Nami looked to her left to see the archaeologist walking along besides them, a rather amused look plastered on her face.

"Robin," Zoro breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"The same thing you guys were doing here," she replied. Robin then looked at the condition of Luffy, Zoro and Gormal and frowned. "Well, almost the exact thing you four were doing. I got some information regarding the 'Sky Island' for you, Navigator-san… minus the painful bar fight."

"It's not our fault that a group of pricks singled us out," Gormal grunted. "Besides, we didn't even fight back…"

"Nami-swan! Robin-chwan! You're back safe and sound!" shouted Sanji, signaling that the _Merry Go_ was nearby. Sure enough, the ship was still docked in the same place it had been in when the four pirates left. However, it took both the efforts of Nami and Robin to haul their injured nakama up the gangplank and plop them right in front of Chopper.

"Ah!" the reindeer gasped at the sight of his nakama. "They're hurt! They need a doctor! Doctor! Quickly!"

"You are the doctor," Usopp said dully.

"Oh! Yeah!" Chopper sighed, realizing his silliness. He went to go and get his medical kit with a quickened clip-clop of hooves.

"So, Robin, what did you find?" Nami asked, turning her attention to Robin. "We were able to get nothing but the fact that the whole concept of an island in the sky is not exactly the best way to make friends."

"There is a man on the other side of the island named Cricket who should be able to help us," Robin said as she watched Chopper patch up the injured pirates. "Rumors say that he has gone crazy because he keeps on talking about his dreams, but I think it is as good of a lead as we are going to get."

"So our next stop is to the home of a man everyone says is madder than a hatter?" Maon asked.

"Of course," Robin smiled. "It only fits since everyone else on the island thinks of our idea as crazy."

"You don't have to tell us twice," Zoro groaned as he stretched a newly bandaged arm. "That Bellamy character is a complete asshole."

"I want to get my hands on that Sarquiss bloke," Gormal snarled. "He called Meadhbh a bitch. He'll pay for that."

"I thought that you and Meadhbh didn't get along?" Nami asked.

"She may be my cousin, but she's more like my sister! I can't let guys talk bad about her when Auntie Mordag's not around to beat the shit out of them! The only man allowed to get away with calling her a bitch is me!" Gormal stood up and made an uncharacteristically dramatic pose, giving everyone else cause to snicker.

"That makes no sense," Sanji said, his eyebrow raised. "Why are you the only guy allowed to insult her? You shouldn't be insulting women at all, shit-traitor. It's not the gentlemanly thing to do."

"I don't really care about the gentlemanly way of doing things when dealing with Meadhbh. She calls me both a poofter and a pansy in public, both of which I am not. I would think that I'm entitled into calling her something," Gormal said frankly. "Besides, if she took serious offence to it, she would have taken our auntie's hammer and beaten the crap out of me already."

"You really like admitting that a girl can beat you up?" Usopp snickered.

"You've obviously never met Meadhbh or Mordag," Maon shrugged, recalling his first, last, only and most painful meeting with Gormal's two female relatives. "Now, are we going to the other side of the island or not?" He climbed up to a rigging connection and smiled broadly, ready to go.

"Right then," Luffy smiled as Chopper finished tying up his bandages. "Let's set sail!"

**80808080808080808**

Just off the coast of Jaya, a ship was sitting idle near the mouth of the bay that split the island nearly in two. On this ship was a large crew, just as big as Masira's had been. The captain was as strange as Masira as well, him being Shoujou: King of Undersea Searching. All around the ship tubes ran into the ocean, supplying air to the divers listening for echoes off objects in the ocean.

"Captain!" shouted a diver as he sprang up for air. "There is a vessel headed this way at twelve o'clock!"

"I can see that!" grumbled the green-haired orangutan. Shoujou looked out at the sea to see the _Merry Go _float their way.

"Wow, he sure is funny looking," Luffy said as they got within proper seeing distance.

"Excuse me!?" Shoujou sneered. "I think you are the one who is funny looking. I have gone my entire life without a haircut. That's twenty-five whole years!"

"What does that have to do with Luffy looking funny?" Zoro asked, leaning up on the railing of the _Merry Go_.

"He kind of reminds me of Masira," Maon said with a smile.

"Masira…?" Shoujou gasped. "You've met my brother?"

"Yeah… went sent him flying, but…" Luffy began. Nami and Usopp both covered his mouth before he could say any more, but the damage had been done.

"So you were the ones who beat up my brother like that!" Shoujou roared. The Mugiwara Kaizokudan all went pale as Shoujou ran around on his ship, screaming threats and curses to them.

"You jerks! My poor brother was stranded until I had to rescue him! You took off with his Eternal Pose to boot! You are all going to get it now!" Shoujou grabbed a microphone stand from near his chair and glared at the other pirate ship. "Soundwave… Havoc Sonar! Uooho!" There was a rumbling and Shoujou's ship began splintering into pieces to small for scrap.

"Captain! Not on the ship!" Shoujou's crew whined. The orangutan noticed his mistake and hopped onto the large prow shaped like an orangutan and wailed again into the microphone.

"What an odd person," Gormal sighed. Suddenly, the _Merry Go_ began to quake and random parts of the deck began to give way, splintering like the other ship did.

"Shit! What's going on!?" Sanji cursed.

"My head! It feels like it's going to explode!" Gormal grimaced, dropping to his knees as his brain began to feel as if it was being twisted with a wrench.

"They're attacking us with sound waves!" Usopp shouted, clutching his own ears. "We have to get out of here!"

"Then let's go!" Nami said. The crew all agreed and soon the _Merry Go_ was sailing away at full speed. It was not until they were a sizeable distance away did anyone look back.

"It seems as if they are having some difficulty chasing after us," Robin said as she looked at the diminished figure of Shoujou's ship on the horizon. The orangutan's ship was stranded where it lay, being that Shoujou had accidentally damaged the mast to the point of not being able to sail.

"That's a relief," Chopper sighed. "I really didn't want to fight them."

"Ah, nuts. I'm gonna have to repair the _Merry_ again," Usopp sighed heavily.

"Amazing how this ship became crap in one day," Zoro said, kicking a loose piece of wood absentmindedly. "I guess we're all going to have to pitch in to fix _Merry _this time."

"You guys sure are real friends," Usopp sniffled.

"I'll get the nails and mallets!" Maon announced, scuttling off to the Usopp Factory for some supplies.

"What a freakin' strange day this turned out to be," Sanji grumbled, smothering a cigarette with the sole of his shoe. "Too much weird shit goes on around here."

"All the more reason to keep on going," Luffy smiled broadly. "We're in for adventure... I can feel it!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Yeah... -nod- how's it going...?


	25. Liar's Legacy

Ahem... -sings- _Happy birthday to me! My name has a "Z"! I am a fan-girl and write fanworks for free! _Yes. I am actually in existence now, according to the government, for yesterday was my birthday. Friggin' frightening if you want to know the truth. X.x I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to **_Zinfer_**-san (who says nice things), **_Sakura_**-chan (who is slowly be killed off by homework), **_weixuan_**-san (who might be angry with me in a couple chapters for not writing something I probably should have) and **_White Butterfly_**-san (who was obviously amused).

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Jaya Arc: _Liar's Legacy_

The _Merry Go _had long been patched up, now looking as if on its last set of sails. The memory of Shoujou was far behind them as the day crept into late afternoon, evening looming on the horizon and potentially hampering the Mugiwara Kaizokudan's search efforts.

"When are we going to get there…?" Luffy, Maon, Chopper and Usopp whined to Nami. The redhead girl hit Maon on the head, being that he was the closest and fumed.

"We'll get there when we get there!" Nami snapped. "If you guys ask me that one more time, I'm going to have Sanji and Gormal throw you overboard!"

"Oi! Don't drag me into that!" Gormal snapped from the crow's nest. He gazed out upon the shoreline of Jaya, also wondering when exactly they would reach their destination. The deck hand, though, was smarter than to ask the navigator irritating questions time and time again and kept the inquiry to himself. Not too long later, Gormal caught sight of something peeking out over the treetops. "I think I see something!"

"Really!?" Luffy and Maon asked together. Their faces brightened at the possibility of being able to get off the ship since both felt quite anxious.

"Yeah! There it is!" Usopp said, pointing towards the island. There, right on the coast, was a huge mansion, grand and gaudy in make.

"Wow!" Chopper exclaimed.

"It looks like Usopp's dream home," Zoro quipped. The marksman shot him an irritated look and stuck out his tongue.

"Come on, let's go on shore," Nami said. The Mugiwara Kaizokudan brought the _Merry Go _up alongside the sheer escarpment of the coast and once they made sure that the ship wasn't going anywhere, they all hopped onto the shore.

"There's something fishy about this mansion…" Maon mused, standing in front of the house and scratching his chin. Sanji walked along to see the back, but stopped and sighed into his cigarette.

"It's not real," he said, rolling his eyes. Everyone else came over to here Sanji was and discovered that the large mansion was only a piece of wooden board, concealing a small half-circle of a hut.

"So then Zoro was right; it really is Usopp's dream home," Gormal said. Usopp punched Gormal on the arm and stormed over to the door, barging in without even knocking.

"Is anyone here!?" he asked into the empty house. There was no answer.

"Maybe Cricket-san isn't here," Chopper piped up.

"Does he have any food? I'm hungry," Luffy wondered, pushing his way past Usopp and Chopper.

"Hey, you guys?" Nami asked. She was standing a bit of a ways away from the house, looking at an old book that she had found sitting on a tree stump. "I think I might have found something."

"What is it Nami?" Usopp asked, looking over the navigator's shoulder. "It looks like a book."

"A children's book, more specifically," Robin said. "_'The Tale of Norland, King of the Liars'_."

"Norland? Really? I wonder what that book is doing here?" Sanji said, lighting another cigarette. The rest of the crew looked at him in wonder.

"Why do you say that about this book Sanji-kun?" Nami asked.

"Didn't I ever tell you guys? I was born in the North Blue. The story of Norland is a very famous children's story there. Almost as soon as you can speak you can recite the words by heart. It's also usually one of the first books children are able to read once they start learning how to."

"From the moment we met I always thought you were from the East Blue like me," Usopp said.

"Nope. I just went there for an apprenticeship when I was young. Besides, the King of the Liars is supposed to be about a real guy who lived about four hundred years ago."

"Wow," Maon marveled. "Can you tell us about him? I mean, you said that you did know the story by heart."

"Sure," Sanji smiled. "There was an explorer long ago named Montblanc Norland who always told tall tales of his adventures. No one could tell if his stories were true or not even though they were all very entertaining. One day, he told the king a tale about how he discovered a city of gold with a large, glittering mountain and a golden bell of gigantic proportions in the very center. The king decided to give Norland a fleet and set sail with him to find this city. After losing almost the entire the fleet and the king in a storm, they landed on the island that Norland said had the city. There was no city or gold and the king ordered him to be publicly executed for his lies. It is said that the man lied all the way up to his death about that city and the gold it possessed, smiling the whole time."

"Wow, that's an interesting story," Luffy said, looking over the edge of the bank and into the water, making everyone wonder if he really paid any attention at all.

"So you are positive that this Norland guy really did exist four hundred years ago?" Gormal asked.

"It sounds pretty made up to me," Zoro added.

"Just ask anyone from the North Blue," Sanji shrugged. "That story was not my invention. Everyone from there knows it. The story is called a fairy tale, but some really do believe in it."

"So the liar died without becoming a true warrior of the sea," Nami sighed, closing the picture book and looking over at Usopp. The sniper cringed at her far-off and depressed expression.

"What are you looking at me for!?" he asked.

"Oh, nothing…"

"You're so mean Nami!" Usopp whined.

"Who do you think you are!?" yelled a voice from seemingly nowhere. The Mugiwara Kaizokudan looked over to the shoreline and saw an older man standing here, shirt off and dripping wet from having just hopped out of the bay. In the distance, they could also see Luffy floundering about in the water, the man having pulled him in.

"Luffy! What are you doing!?" Usopp panicked, running over to where his captain was. The strange man went to go block his way, but his punch was intercepted by Sanji's foot. Usopp used this opportunity to dive into the water and grab Luffy before he sunk down to the bottom of the sea unconscious.

"What are you trying to do here, old man?" Sanji asked. The strange diver just began to attack some more and before long, Zoro jumped into the fight brandishing his fists. The fight continued until the man passed out and collapsed in mid-punch. Chopper rushed over to him and gasped.

"Help me get him into the house!" he squeaked.

"…but he just tried to kill Luffy," Maon said as he assisted Usopp in lifting Luffy's body from the water.

"When Chopper takes on a patient, he sticks with it until the end," Usopp explained as they watched Zoro and Gormal attempt to carefully carry the man into the house. "That's just the way he is. Doesn't matter who it is, remember?"

"Oh, that's right," Maon said, the tips of his ears tinting to a slight red. "I remember now." Luffy then coughed up some water and sprang back to life, to the surprise of Usopp and Maon.

"Hey, where did everyone go?" Luffy asked as he looked about, seeing that no one was outside.

"They're inside the house, come on," Maon sighed. The three went into the house to find that Chopper was already working on curing the man.

"Open all the windows! Get me some more of those cold towels!" he ordered. Nami and Robin helped him out while the guys watched on.

"What's wrong with him?" Sanji asked, watching the whole ordeal with a skeptical eye. "He just collapsed."

"Dysbarism," Chopper said. "It happens when divers don't let the bubbles completely dissolve after a dive. Nitrogen gets into the bloodstream and they get sick. It can be cured, but if not caught early enough can be deadly."

Just then, the pirates could hear the panicked shouting of two familiar voices just outside the front door. The door burst open and Masira and Shoujou popped their upper halves in, not being able to fit all the way normally since they were side-by-side.

"No! You've come here to kill us and Cricket-san!" Masira wailed as soon as he saw the Mugiwara Kaizokudan.

"Don't you people dare!" warned Shoujou.

"Relax, we're not going to do anything to hurt you guys," Nami assured, shooting the brothers an irritated look. "This guy's sick and we're making sure that he gets better."

"Really…?" the brothers asked in unison.

"Really, really," Gormal said as the others nodded in agreement.

"You guys are so nice!" Masira and Shoujou cried.

"Ah, quit your cry-babying," Cricket growled as he sat up on the bed he had been placed on. "I expect better from you two."

"Waugh! You shouldn't be getting up yet!" Chopper exclaimed. He tried to push Cricket back down, but the man was strong and stubborn, despite the fact he was most likely three times Luffy's age.

"Get out of my house now, you ingrates!" Cricket barked. Immediately, Masira and Shoujou squeezed out of the doorway and bolted. Luffy followed close behind, not too sure who the threat was made out to.

"Oh, Luffy," Nami sighed, shaking her head. "What are we going to do with you?"

Outside, the brothers and Luffy had stopped running over by some tree stumps and were sitting about, chatting like old friends.

"Wow, you guys must be really powerful to have sent my brother flying like that," Shoujou pondered, sizing up Luffy.

"Yeah, you should have been there!" Masira exclaimed. "It took me by total surprise!"

"Well, I didn't do it exactly," Luffy grinned, scratching the back of his head. The three laughed as they sat, making Cricket inside smile gruffly.

"Those two," he chortled. He grabbed a box from the night stand nearby, took out a cigarette and lit it. He then turned to the rest of the crew and bowed his head slightly. "Thanks for helping me out there. At first I mistook you for all the other fools coming over here to steal gold. I don't know what would have happened if Masira and Shoujou found me there instead of you."

"Oh, it was nothing, you awful bastard!" Chopper grinned. Before Cricket could retort, Luffy's mind went back on track again and he poked his head back into the house.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" he said cheerily. "We want to go to 'Sky Island'! Can you tell us how to go there?"

"'Sky Island'...?" Cricket asked. Luffy nodded and Cricket burst out into fits of laughter.

"Stop laughing!" Nami snapped.

"Heh, I'm sorry," Cricket apologized with a smirk. "It's just that, I've never come across anyone like you in a long time. Everyone on this island thinks that I'm crazy because of my ancestor, but they always agree that those who believe in Sky Island take the cake."

"Your ancestor?" Maon asked. "What do you mean?"

"I am a descendant of Montblanc Norland," Cricket sighed. "I've always hated it since I was little and was constantly teased for his famous lies. I came here to hopefully find that sunken city of gold and find peace."

"You're a descendant of Montblanc Norland?" Sanji asked, raising a curly eyebrow. "That must have been rough."

"Yeah, but no one in my family blames him for anything. Norland was an honest man and cried tears of injustice upon his death," Cricket explained. "Even though there is barely a trace of the man's blood in mine, his legacy has worse than exiled anyone with the Montblanc name, even when it was the king that was wrong and not Norland."

"That sounds harsh," Usopp said.

"Yeah," Cricket continued. "It just seems sort of ironic that after being driven to many a life at sea, I'm the only one of my relative who made it here."

"So then," Zoro said. "Masira and Shoujou are what's left of your crew then, right?"

"No, those two goofs are just fans of the story," Cricket chortled. "They saved my life though. Before they came along I had been alone, constantly diving for about five or six years. They help me in my search, though nothing has come up in over two years."

"So then, you have found gold" Nami asked excitedly.

"Yes, but only a few small pieces," Cricket said, reaching up onto a shelf and grabbing a book. He tossed it at Nami and took a long crag of his cigarette. "Before I show you anything, you gotta read that."

"Okay..." Nami said, running her fingers over the worn leather cover of the book. "It feels so old."

"Four hundred years to be exact," Cricket grunted, blowing out a large pillar of smoke. "That book is one of the treasures we salvaged once Masira and Shoujou showed up."

"'_The nineteenth of June, the year eleven hundred and twenty'_," Nami read. Usopp, Luffy, Maon and Chopper perked up their ears and began to listen intently. "_'We sailed out of the harbor today, headed towards the northeast. In port earlier, I learned of a truly frightening current that shoots up from the sea, blasting everything in its path into the sky. It is not scheduled to go off again for another two weeks, so our travels should be safe. Also, the same man that warned us about the stream told us about an island in the sky. It is supported by cloud and even has its own version of fish, especially adapted to life thousands of feet above sea level. I acquired from him a small craft called a '_waver_', which is supposedly a mode of transportation on the Sky Island. I would have never believed anything the man had told me until that point until the craft began to move without oars or wind. It has quickly become a popular toy amongst the crew. I shall not ride it again, for it takes some sort of certain skill to operate that I clearly do not possess...'_ Guys, this is definitely a logbook. Now the question of who owned it comes to mind."

"Norland did," Cricket sighed, standing up from the bed and walking across the room. His name is engraved inside the front cover of the book. That was the very first thing we found." Cricket took one of two cloth bundles from the shelf and placed it on the table. Upon unraveling the cloth, he revealed three glimmering golden bells, each one with a different design around the bottom rim. Everyone's eyes grew wide at the sight of the gold. "This is near all of the gold. It's not much, but it proves that Norland wasn't completely lying."

"Actually, it proves that he was not lying at all," Robin said, coming up and gingerly examining the idol. "These bells can, in fact, prove that there was once a great civilization here. They seem to me to be tokens that were once used as a measurement and price system in a type of market setting long ago. If you found these in the water, then there is the possibility that the market and the civilization that it once belonged to could have possibly died out after sinking into the sea."

"That has been my theory as well," Cricket sighed. He then began for the door, Chopper trying to stop him.

"No! You mustn't go outside yet!" the reindeer wailed. Cricket walked right by him to find Shoujou and Masira wrestling with one another.

"Hey, boneheads!" Cricket called out. The brothers stopped fighting and looked over at the older man.

"Yeah boss?"

"These guys want to go to Sky Island," Cricket laughed, thrusting his thumb up and over his shoulder at the Mugiwara Kaizokudan.

"Hm, that is something," Masira said.

"There's only one way up there, you know," Shoujou mused.

"Then why don't we help them out," Cricket grinned. The brothers smiled as well, agreeing with their leader completely.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Norland's Story and Logbook: I tried to paraphrase the best I could. I know this whole plot revisitation thing might be boring to some people and I don't want my story to be boring. I mean, I want to ger to the good stuff soon... the really, _really _good stuff.

Next Update: As scheduled, is going to be on April 4th. This chapter was just an extra, bonus one since I'm a nice person.


	26. South Bird

Please don't hate me, please don't hate me, please don't hate me... please...? I'm trying to barrel through to the good stuff...? -grins- I do not own One Piece. Reviewer thanks go out to **_wiexuan_**-san, **_Ryo-kun _**(your fanart's a comin'!), **_Sakura_**-chan and **_Butterfly_**-san. One hundred reviews! Huzzah! That's an average of four a chapter! You people rock out loud.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Jaya Arc: _South Bird_

"This is stupid," Zoro muttered to himself as he hammered in a board onto the outside of the _Merry Go_, following the direction of Shoujou.

"It may sound stupid now Zoro, but think about how much this will make sense as we fly through the sky!" Maon said excitedly as he too nailed a new board into place.

"Actually, I don't want to think about it," Zoro cringed.

'_Oh, come on,' _Kuina giggled inside his head._ 'Don't you think that flying will be awesome?'_

"Ah, no," Zoro answered flatly. Maon looked at him and stared in wonder.

"You alright Zoro?" he asked.

'_You are so grumpy,'_ Kuina sighed. _'I would had never imagined that you would grow up to be such a grump.'_

"Ah, shut up, why don't you?" Zoro muttered, ignoring Maon and talking aloud to Kuina. The redheaded man tried to listen as Zoro as he muttered some more, but the swordsman was talking to himself in such a low tone that Maon just shrugged it off as a simple self-argument and nothing more.

"Come on! Break time!" Cricket shouted. The various pirates stopped their hammering and sawing and such and all took the old man's words to heart.

"This is hard work!" Nami sighed, sitting down on the grass from her job of distributing nails. She had just sat down when Luffy and Usopp plopped down on the ground on either side of her, sweaty and smelly from lifting all of the wooden boards and the tools that accompanied them.

"That's easy for you to say!" the sniper whined. Nami just scrunched her nose and tried not to breathe through it.

"Don't complain too much," Gormal said. "This work is nothing. Just think about what it would be like to build this thing back up from scratch!" The white-haired man chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the amount of lifting he had just endured, being that he had been assigned the job of hauling planks of wood to various spots around the ship.

"I need to explain something to you guys," Cricket admitted. "It's about how you're going to get up to Sky Island."

"Does it have something to do with the wings we are nailing onto the _Merry Go_?" Robin asked.

"Yes," Cricket said. "Those wings aren't going to take you up there all by themselves. That's why you're going to take Knock-Up Stream."

"I keep on hearing people talk about that," Nami said. "What exactly is 'Knock-Up Stream' anyways?"

"A disaster," Cricket sighed. The Mugiwara Kaizokudan blanched. "At least, that's what it is to most people. It's a special current that shoots straight up into the sky for an entire minute, most often either destroying or blasting upwards everything in its path."

"Sounds awful," Chopper squeaked.

"Only if you have no idea as to what you're getting in to," Cricket scoffed. "If you guys go into this prepared, you guys could be the first to make it up there. I think the whole lot of you are all lucky that Knock-Up Stream and the Millennium Cumulonimbus are going to be in synch tomorrow."

"The what…?" Maon questioned.

"It is a very large and dense cloud that is rumored to have existed longer than the islands of the Grand Line," Cricket explained. "Whenever it passes over anything, the underlying area becomes as dark as night. The cloud is supposed to be so dense, that it is possible for an island to be up there."

"We saw that!" Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Maon sang in chorus. "It was so dark and it was so scary!"

"So then, you think that Sky Island's up there?" Zoro asked.

"Of course. It is the only logical conclusion I can make out of this entire situation. I also have a theory as to why Knock-Up Stream is the way it is, but most of it is more of an elaborate guess than realistic fact and not exactly something you want in your brains."

"…but then why go out of your way to help us?" Gormal asked.

"The dream of Sky Island might as well be as big as One Piece in the eyes of some," Cricket said. "If it is in your dream to go to Sky Island, then I should not let you guys go in there like idiots and get yourselves killed like so many before you have done. If anyone should die pursuing dreams it would have to be those fools on the other side of the island, considering they have none at all."

"Cricket-san," Masira piped up, raising his hand. "Shoujou and I are going to get everything ready!"

"You do that," Cricket grinned. The two brothers ran off and somehow squeezed themselves into Cricket's house.

"Get ready?" Luffy asked innocently. "What are they getting ready for?"

"This break is also for eating!" Cricket smiled. Luffy's face lit up with excitement and the boy-captain rushed for the house, losing all form of childish innocence he could have had and replacing it with savage hunger. He charged in through the front door and there was a yelp of surprise out of each Masira and Shoujou.

"Your captain sure does love to eat, doesn't he?" Cricket laughed.

"Of course he does," Sanji sighed. "I really want a lock on our refrigerator, since both him and the musician seem to team up on me."

"I can't help it!" Maon snapped in defense. Sanji looked over to see that Zoro was holding the redheaded man back by the collar as he tried to run towards the small house as well. The swordsman let go and with the lack of restraint, Maon fell flat on his face.

"Well, then let's go inside!" Cricket smiled.

"Why though?" Usopp asked. "Why are you accepting us so quickly?"

"I can never turn down nakama in search of their dreams," Cricket said, not even looking back at the sniper. "Now get in the house and let's eat." He never saw the shocked expression on Usopp's face, or the smile that replaced it.

**80808080808080808**

"This is great!" Luffy laughed. He bit into a rack of meat and grinned broadly. Everyone was partying. Cricket had broken out the good sake and all of the pirates were having a grand old time. Even Robin, who was reading one of the old journals that the Saruyama Alliance had salvaged, was having fun. She smiled as she turned a page and looked over the information again and stored the knowledge in her memory. Looking up, she saw Cricket peering over the edge of the book, a rather grumpy look on his face.

"Norland was a great explorer you know," the older man said. "Many of his actual accomplishments were overshadowed by the fact that he was branded as a liar."

"It seems like it from here," Robin said. Cricket smiled with the aid of his grog and walked over to the shelf where he had gotten the cloth bundle with the bell tokens. He took the remaining cloth bundle and placed it on the table. Everyone gathered around as Cricket pulled back the cloth to reveal a golden bird statue that was roughly the size of a large kitten. Robin and Nami's eyes lit up. The guys marveled at the polished statuette and its shiny condition.

"This is the rest of the gold that I found, save for a few coins here and there," Cricket explained. "I won't show this stuff to just anyone, you know. This one's special."

"How is it special?" Usopp asked as he watched Maon's pointer finger close in on the idol. An arm sprouted from the table and smacked the musician's grubby hand away.

"This is even more solid evidence that there was some sort of culture here outside of Mock Town," Gormal explained before Robin could even open her mouth. He picked up the idol gingerly with two hands and examined it carefully. "This cannot possibly be something you cooked up yesterday. This is a very old statue, created using a very old smelting process. This thing probably predates that Norland guy by a hundred years or so."

"Very well said Deck Hand-san," Robin smiled. Hands sprouted from Gormal's wrists and seized control of the statue, setting it back down on the table. "Cricket-san, what kind of animal is this? I have never seen one like it before."

"That would be a South Bird," Cricket laughed. "They're all over in the forest just north of here. Peculiar creatures, they are… AH SHIT!" Everyone seemed fairly taken aback by Cricket's outburst, even Masira and Shoujou.

"What's the matter?" Sanji asked.

"I completely forgot! We need one of those South Birds!" Cricket panicked. "You need to go out into the forest and find one, quickly!"

"Why?" Zoro asked, raising his eyebrow deftly.

"We need one of 'em to get to Knock-Up Stream!" Cricket said, opening the door and looking outside. "Their beaks always point south, which will come in handy once we get into open water. The Log Poses will say that we've got to go to Jaya, so we need the South Bird's permanent direction!"

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Luffy smiled. He rushed out the door, dragging the loudly protesting pair of Chopper and Maon close behind him.

"Wait, does he even know what he's doing?" Cricket asked.

"No," the remaining Mugiwara crewmen sighed.

"Come on Sanji-kun," Nami growled as she stomped towards the door. "Let's go, before Luffy kills himself or the others."

"Hai Nami-swan!" Sanji cooed. He glared over at Usopp and jerked his head over towards the door. "You comin' or what?"

"Coming!" the sniper squeaked, clambering to stand up. He followed out Sanji and Nami, leaving Gormal, Robin and Zoro to silently walk out together.

"Think they can do it?" Masira asked as the nine pirates vanished into the dark forest.

"We've been trying to catch one of them for ages," Shoujou added. "They always seem to get away at the last second."

"Of course," Cricket chuckled, lighting another cigarette. "These punks are special. Trust me, they'll go places and do things we've never even dreamed of."

**80808080808080808**

It was silent as Zoro walked through the dense, dark woods with Robin and Gormal on either side of him, the three being far away from Cricket's house on the shore of the island. None of the three wanted, or cared, to say anything to the others, which of course gave way for Kuina to start chattering up a storm.

'_I wonder what Sky Island's going to be like!' _she wondered excitedly.

_I don't know_, Zoro thought. _I don't know and none of us will know until we get a South Bird and get up there, so shut up already._

'_Well, then at least be a little more enthusiastic about this,'_ Kuina scolded.

_How…?_

'_Maybe try not to be yourself.'_

"I can't help being myself, bitch," Zoro snarled out loud, making both Robin and Gormal look over at him. The two saw that the swordsman's eyes were closed and his eyebrow was twitching.

"What in the seas are you talking about you ruddy idiot?" Gormal hissed, nudging Zoro with his elbow. Zoro snapped out of his conversation with Kuina and shot a glare over at the deck hand.

"Another word out of you and I'll slice your throat."

"Heh, try me, poofter-marimo."

Robin then witnessed something similar to one of Zoro's fights with Sanji, with the exception of Sanji being replaced with Gormal of course. She sighed and looked around, trying to find a clue to where a bird could be. Sure enough, the moment she looked up into the treetops, she saw one sitting there.

"It seems as if we did not have to go very far to find what we needed, did we?" she said to herself, looking up at the bird. She prepared to use her Hana Hana no Mi to capture the creature, when it let out a chilling squawk. Zoro actually stopped mid-sword swing at the noise, holding his head in pain.

_We should leave here!_ Kuina screamed frantically, as if she were in a chased panic. _I can sense its spirit! The bird is telling us to leave!_ Zoro dropped his swords and fell to his knees, tearing at his hair while Kuina kept on screaming.

"Shut up!" Zoro bellowed. "I don't care what the bird says! The old man said that we needed it! You wanna go to Sky Island, right!?"

"Zoro! Snap out of it, mate!" Gormal ordered. The swordsman still clutched his head in mental pain, completely ignoring his crewmate.

_There are some seriously bad emotions running through these woods_! Kuina panicked. _We have to get back to Cricket's house, now!_

"Don't you realize that you're making my head hurt!?"

_I can't help it! We need to go back! Forget the bird! We're in danger! Something murderous is in the air!_

"Woman, you're crazy if you want me to leave the bird!"

"Poofter-marimo, you better explain yourself, this instant!" Gormal snarled, kicking Zoro in the side. Zoro snapped his gaze upward in order to look up at the deck hand, breathing heavily and appearing to be highly cross.

"You do not want to know what's going on right now," he snapped, his upper lip curling into a sneer.

"I do too know! You're being a bloody arse and are screaming at the top of your lungs to positively no one!"

"Please, if we can leave now," Robin asked, interrupting the argument. Zoro and Gormal looked at her and found that she was clutching the bird from its feet, having used her Devil Fruit power to secure and acquire it.

"Aw, nice," Gormal sighed, throwing up his arms in frustration. "What good were we?"

"Get down!" Zoro ordered, picking up his swords and charging at Robin. The woman did not move, which forced the swordsman to jump up in order to get the overgrown centipede that was ready to rip into Robin with relish.

"You sure do have some intuition, Swordsman-san," Robin said, smiling at Zoro as he sheathed his swords.

"Just move," he growled in return. He followed the other two as they took off towards what Zoro assumed to be Cricket's place. They tried not to stop, until a set of piercing screams cut through the air.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

A: Since I have an idea about people's view on Gormal, how does everyone think Maon's coming along?

B: Is Kuina's Spirit Power spiffy? I know I'm really messing with Zoro by doing this.

C: I have one chapter left in this arc. -grin- Skypiea ho!

D: Have a Happy Easter. If you are one of those people that don't celebrate Easter... then I just wish you well anyways.


	27. KnockUp Stream

Happy Friday the Thirteenth everyone? Man, I love days like today, particularly since there are so many people out there who are beyond superstitious. Also, this is my Spring Break, so I'm writing like crazy. -grins- If I keep up the pace, I might be able to go with a chapter a week during the summer. I do not own One Piece. Reviewer thanks go out to **_Sakura_**-chan, **_weixuan_**-san and **_Butterfly_**-san.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Jaya Arc: _Knock-Up Stream_

"What was that?" Gormal asked, looking around for the source of the shrill scream. The three paused in their running and attempted to locate where the cry came from. The brush began to rustle and out fell Nami and Sanji, seemingly frightened for their lives.

"Spiders! Spiders! Spiders! Spiders! Spiders! Spiders! Spiders!" Nami shivered, grabbing onto Zoro's arm.

"Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!" Sanji cringed, trying to shake the willies out of him.

"Oh, come on," Zoro growled, shoving Sanji out of his way. "They can't be all that bad if Usopp isn't running away screaming. He went to go into the brush when Usopp whizzed past him, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"RUN!" the marksman screeched.

"You lot are afraid of bugs? I thought I was the one who had a cousin that called them a pansy," Gormal scoffed as he watched Usopp run off into the forest. He looked over at where Usopp had run out from and watched blandly as Luffy, Chopper and Maon came running as well.

"Waaaiii!" Chopper squealed. Zoro and Gormal just stood there blandly, eyebrows raised in disapproval.

Just then, there was the sharp sound of wood being split and the creaking of a falling tree. The tree that Robin was standing next to began to lean and once the woman was barely able to get out of the way, the tree landed with a resounding crash.

_Zoro!_ Kuina shouted, still panicked._ The insects are out to kill us! If you don't move now, we're dead for sure!_

"What…?" Zoro whispered. He looked over towards the fallen tree's stump and cringed when he saw a preying mantis sitting on the former tree, its scythe-like claws gleaming in the moonlight.

"We got to get out of here!" the green-haired man shouted, beginning to run in the direction that most of his nakama had. Gormal glanced over at the mantis and immediately understood.

"Come on Robin," he said, still eyeing the bug. "Let's make sure that twit doesn't get himself lost."

"Alright," Robin agreed as the two of them ran off. It came as no surprise that they had to prevent Zoro from wandering off in the wrong direction multiple times as soon as they caught up with him. Before long, the three ran into Maon, Luffy and Chopper again, as well as some oversized ladybugs that attacked them by simply ramming their diamond-hard bodies into the pirates. Zoro was scowling more intensely than usual, as Kuina happened to be caterwauling inside his brain about the disgusting, creepy bugs. When the group got to the forest edge, their spirits were raised, yet soon fell again when they saw what awaited them.

"Hey, someone help me out here!" Usopp yelled, his voice strained. He was attempting to drag Shoujou off of the cliff's edge. Masira was just coming to, his forehead and arms bloody from fighting. Only about twenty meters from him lay a completely unconscious Cricket, also beaten and bloodied in the same manner as Masira and Shoujou. The door to the house was broken in and even from the edge of the woods, everyone could see that the inside furniture had been strewn about the place. Even the modifications that had been made to the _Merry Go _were destroyed, the ship more in shambles now than ever before.

"Who did this?" Nami asked as Maon ran over to help out Usopp.

"I don't know," Usopp said once they got Shoujou safely on the ground. "They were like this when I got here."

"Hey, look here on the tree," Gormal mentioned, looking over towards a tree. On the trunk, there was a painted smiling face with a line through it. "This is Bellamy's mark, I'm sure of it."

"Bellamy… hey, wasn't that was the guy from Mock Town, wasn't it?" Zoro asked angrily.

"Hey, minna!" Maon shouted from the doorway to the house. "Cricket-san's gold is missing! I think whoever attacked him took the gold!"

"I'll be back," Luffy snarled, walking along the edge of the forest.

"Luffy!" Chopper pleaded.

"I'll go along the edge of the island. I won't get lost," the boy-captain said, grim resolve in his voice. Before anyone else could protest, Luffy sprinted off into the night, leaving his nakama behind.

_'Heh, what an idiot,'_ Kuina laughed.

_What are you talking about?_ Zoro asked, watching Luffy go off.

'That bone-head's gonna go over to Mock Town and get the gold back.'

…this is a problem how…?

'Never mind. Let's just get going on fixing the Merry_.'_

"Sure thing," Zoro muttered. He walked over towards the wreckage that had once been a modified _Merry Go_, picked up a hammer and began pounding a loose board back into place.

"Poofter-marimo, what are you doing?" Gormal asked.

"My job," Zoro grunted in reply.

"Shitty quick fixes are what Usopp is for," the deck hand scoffed. "That damn thing took us all day to build. There's no time to repair it."

"Oi! I help too Gormal!" Maon retorted, shaking his fist. "That ship came from a beautiful woman in Usopp's village! It's only right that we take care of it!"

"I still can't understand why you believe that shit's lies!" Sanji snapped. "You and Chopper are completely hopeless!"

"Now's not the time to be arguing," Robin said sagely. "Swordsman-san and Musician-san are right. We have to repair the ship before Captain-san comes back from Mock Town."

"…and that better be before sunrise, or else we won't make it over to Knock-Up Stream," said Masira, who was just barely conscious. The large ape-man tried to sit up, but collapsed right back down again.

"Don't move from where you are!" Chopper scolded. "If you move, it will only make it worse!"

"Fix the ship!" Masira yelled. "Fix the ship and I will cooperate! You mustn't allow any dream to die like this!"

"Then let's get moving," Zoro ordered, staring at his crewmates sternly. Everyone stared at the swordsman for a moment and then slowly joined in. Chopper did not help with the rebuilding process until much later, making sure that the three injured men were treated first. It was a long, laborious process that took until nearly sunrise. Everyone had just barely finished patching up the _Merry Go_ when Luffy came barreling towards them, a cloth tied to his back supporting a rather large amount of gold.

"I couldn't remember which ones you needed exactly, but I do know that the Spring Guy's not going to bother you any more!" the boy-captain grinned, running up to Cricket. The older man looked over at Luffy and appeared apprehensive.

"Are you sure about that, boy?" he asked.

"Hey, leave him to rest Luffy!" Chopper scolded, scuttling over to the pair. The reindeer had allowed Masira and Shoujou to move hours before, but still wanted Cricket to stay as immobile as possible. "He was hurt really bad! The Monkey Brothers are going to move him onto their ship soon and that's going to be it!"

"Oh, okay," Luffy said. His eye then caught sight of the Merry Go and he gasped. "Merry's fixed!"

"Yeah, now get on before we leave without you!" shouted Gormal from the deck.

"We're going to be leaving in a few minutes!" Nami added. The early morning light then poured over the scene, brightening the island immensely. Masira and Shoujou soon sailed up in a ship that the Mugiwara Kaizokudan did not recognize and assumed to be Cricket's. After making sure that Cricket was safely secured to his ship, the two crews set out for Knock-Up Stream, using the South Bird's direction as their guide.

"Eh, what a funny bird," Maon laughed when they were a way away from Jaya. He turned the South Bird's head to the right and it snapped back into place as soon as he let go. Maon chuckled at this, as well as Usopp and Luffy who were on either side of him.

"Stop that!" Nami scolded. "We need the bird's direction, not for you to be moving it all over the place!"

"We're just lucky that thing's tied down, otherwise it'd fly away I bet," Zoro said. Nami looked over at the swordsman curiously.

"What makes you say that?"

"Ah, just a little voice in my head," he grinned.

"Hearing voices are you?" Sanji asked, coming up to where his two crewmates were. The blond man smirked at the very notion and leaned up against the railing. "What else does the voice tell you?"

"You'd rather not know," Zoro retorted sourly. Sanji scoffed and returned to the galley to find the breakfast treat he had been preparing for Nami and Robin, leaving Zoro to his pensively silent conversation._'You don't wanna tell him that it's me in your brain then, eh?'_

_I don't wanna tell **anyone** you're in my brain._

_'Why not?'_

_Do you really think they'll believe me?_

_'Maybe, if you put enough faith in them.'_

_They all think I'm nuts,_ Zoro sighed._ I mean, come on… I highly doubt that time when you left is off their minds. _

_'Just like it has yet to leave yours?'_ Kuina said. Zoro could have sworn he felt a pair of thin arms wrap around him from behind, but knew that it was impossible._Kuina…?_

_'Yeah…?'_

_What ever happened to the girl how was ready to kick my ass every chance she got?_

_'All girls have a soft side, Zoro, whether we like it or not,'_ the spirit sighed. _'Now, drop it and shut up, otherwise you'll have another one of those suicidal spells again.'_

"Bitch," Zoro laughed. He felt a smack on his arm and jerked back to reality. He had completely forgot about Nami standing next to him.

"What did you call me that for!?" the redhead snapped.

"What did I call you!?"

"You called me a bitch!"

"I wasn't talking to you!"

"Who else is standing here Zoro!? Your imaginary girlfriend!?"

"Oi!" called out Shoujou from the second ship, interrupting the argument. The entire Mugiwara Kaizokudan directed their attention to the orangutan, who immediately blushed a feverous shade of red. "We're coming up on Knock-Up Stream! This is where we have to leave you!"

"You aren't coming with us?!" Luffy shouted back, hanging over the side of the railing.

"No! We can't with this ship, or our leader in the condition he's in!" Masira responded. "Just travel for about five more minutes at the current knot speed and you'll be right in the center of the stream, right on time!"

"Thanks Masira!" Nami shouted. Masira blushed as well and the two Monkey Brothers waved goodbye with small streams of blood trickling from each of their noses.

"Thanks for everything Cricket-san!" Maon shouted over the side of the ship. No one could hear a reply, but it was all assumed that the older man heard the thanks.

"Alright! We're going to Sky Island!" Luffy cheered.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Chopper declared.

"Navigator-san," Robin piped up. "How long is it until the stream is activated?"

"Three minutes," Nami said, looking down at a stopwatch. "Come on you guys, I'm going to need everyone's full cooperation on this one. Usopp, stop hiding and…" The redheaded woman was going to continue, but was cut off by a piercing laugh that sounded oddly familiar.

"Zhaha!" went the laughter. Not only did Nami freeze in her spot, but Zoro, Luffy and Gormal as well. The four looked over the side of the _Merry Go_ and discovered that only a short ways away was a rather large looking log raft being driven by some of the men they had found in Mock Town. There was the sickly doctor, the strongman from the rooftop, an unfamiliar man with a large musket-type weapon and the man from the tavern.

"Hey! It's you!" Gormal said, running up to the rail.

"Mugiwara Luffy!" shouted the man from the bar. "Listen to me! This hour is going to be your last! My name is Marshall D. Teach and will send you to your maker!"

"You don't scare us!" Usopp replied, his knees quaking worse than they had in a while. The teen gave out a nervous chuckle and gulped. "We have an undersea cannon, ready to attack your craft! Just surrender now! You are no match for us!"

"Zha! Try me!" Teach laughed, calling the sniper's bluff. "I know all about how much you are worth! He pulled out two sheets of paper, waving them around wildly. One had a picture of Luffy and the other Zoro.

"Are those bounty listings!?" Maon asked, peering at the papers.

"They sure are!" Teach shouted. "Mugiwara is worth a hundred million and the Kaizoku Gari sixty million! You two are going to make us rich!"

"Only sixty?" Zoro pondered. Luffy did a dance for joy while the rest of the crew watched on in horror as the enemy craft came closer.

"Oi, do you guys hear that?" Chopper asked softly.

"Hear what Chopper?" Sanji asked. The reindeer was about to explain when Sanji's question was answered.

Suddenly, the entire ship began to shiver, a deep rumbling heard from below.

"Hold yourselves down!" Maon panicked.

"What do you lilies think you're doing!?" Teach snapped as he saw the younger pirates begin to scurry. He was unaware of the danger that was underneath them until it was too late. The sea began to rise underneath the _Merry Go_, a large growth of water that gave off the thunderous quake. Teach watched in horror as his own ship could not quite get to the flat surface the_ Merry Go _was on and instead began to slip down the sides.

Then, in a flash, the water exploded into a fountain of sea-foam and fish, catapulting the Mugiwara Kaizokudan into the air and ricocheting Teach's ship into an area of the sea not quite at the Jayan coastline.

"What in the hell!?" Zoro cursed, being thrown into one of the mikan trees. He watched as Luffy came rushing towards him and instinctively reached out an arm to pluck the boy-captain from the air.

"Thanks Zoro!" Luffy gasped, the wind hurling by the two of them at a rate almost too fast for them to breathe.

"Just hold onto me," Zoro replied, clutching Luffy close. He had to whisper the assurance into Luffy's ear, but he did not mind. What he had decided was a problem, was the fact that the _Merry Go_ was still violently shivering with the rush of water going past its keel and tipping so that the rudder was completely on the bottom of the ship. The swordsman panicked and with Luffy attached to him, he untangled himself from the mikan tree and was just barely able to make it to the edge of the deck. He struggled, but was finally able to stand straight up on the outside wall of the galley.

"What are we going to do!? What are we going to do!?" Usopp and Maon panicked, clutching onto the mast.

"Nami!" Gormal shouted, clutching onto the railing. "The ship's falling off the stream! We're not going to make it!"

"What are you doing Robin!?" Nami shouted as she noticed that the older woman had used her Hana-Hana no Mi to hoist up the sail. "Let down the rigging!"

"Are you nuts?!" Zoro shouted.

"Just do it!" Nami ordered, not paying any attention to the swordsman. Robin opened the sail and suddenly, the severe shaking that the ship had been doing was slowly coming to an end.

The _Merry Go_ was flying.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

What? No Bellamy vs Luffy?: No. Too bad. That was an awesome, though quick, fight. I'd rather not muck it up and get to Skypiea quicker in the process. Yes, the details perish once more.

No Bellamy vs Luffy?: No. Too bad. That was an awesome, though quick, fight. I'd rather not muck it up and get to Skypiea quicker in the process. Yes, the details perish once more. 

Teach: Yeah. He's going to play a very minor role in this fiction later on. Chapter 441 is still too fresh in my mind for comfort. I don't like him. Teach is icky. I don't think he'll ever become a Shichibukai though, 'cause I doubt that a "jerkasaurus" can be counted as an animal for his theme.

Zoro's Bounty: So I was looking through previous chapters and going, "Ah shit! Contradiction!" In chapter three I make mention of Luffy and Zoro's bounties being a hundred million and sixty million respectively. This is bad. Ignore the previous mistakes. Besides, I keep on finding random stuff in previous chapters when I go through them... like an accidental homage to Captain Barbossa. X.x I'll give people a fanart request if they can tell me where that is.

* * *

Edits: Major text attribute alteration. 


	28. Land of TakeMikazuchi

Well, now that I've officially irritated, confused, pleased and, erm, yeah... SKYPIEA! Foosha! Now we just have to wait about twelve more chapters until we get to the next huge anime ripoff... and no, the G8 arc is NOT making an appearance. I just like trying to find where I can snag Luffy-lyrics in the character song "Family" for my OCs and Franky to sing. Reviewer thanks go out to _**weixuan**_-san, _**Butterfly**_-san and _**Sakura**_-chan. I do not own _One Piece_. Sorry this chapter's late. I had a little bit of problems with my computer when it had a fit yseterday. -sighs-

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc:_ Land of Take-Mikazuchi_

"We're flying!?" Usopp gasped as the shaking of the _Merry Go _stabilized. He slowly let go of the mast and made his way over to the side of the ship and looked over the edge. "We are! We really are flying! Holy crap! This is so exciting I can barely breathe!"

"I can't breathe!" Maon gasped, still clinging for dear life to the mast. He held his windpipe and began wheezing.

"The air pressure is dropping! You just have to get used to it!" Nami shouted over the rush of air hurling past them.

"I need to breathe to live!" Maon retorted.

"Breathe deeply," Chopper suggested. "Make your breath deep and regular and you should be able to adjust better."

"Okay," Maon said, trying to crack a smile. He closed his eyes and hoped for the best.

"Wow! The _Merry _is actually flying!" Luffy laughed. He climbed up to the ram's head and sat down right on the nose, letting the air whip past his face and ruffle his hair.

"Make it stop!" Gormal cried out, holding onto the railing with stiff fingers.

"Have a little fun, Deck-Hand-san," Robin smiled. Gormal blanched and tried to keep his lunch contained.

"Hey, I think I can see the top!" Nami shouted, pointing upwards to a wall of cloud. Sure enough, the _Merry Go _burst through the wall and landed on what appeared to be sea, but was completely white.

"What the hell!?" Sanji marveled as he looked over the edge of the ship. "Nami-san, are we on a cloud?!"

"It sure does look like it," Nami said, trying to examine the cloudy substance below them. Besides her however, the musician opened his eyes and looked about him, taken aback at the white, fluffy surroundings they had happened into.

"Wow, this place is wicked awesome!" Maon marveled, looking around the White Sea with glee. He leaned over the side of the ship and gazed down at the cloud below them.

"I wonder how we're staying afloat," Nami mused as she stared at the sea.

"There's only one way to find out," Usopp grinned. The rest of the crew looked at him as he folded down the top of his overalls, seemingly in preparation to go swimming. Jumping off into the cloud, he disappeared underneath the ivory waves and then reappeared suddenly, laughing heartily.

"Usopp!" Chopper squealed, rushing to the railing in fright. "What are you doing!?"

"This stuff is fun!" Usopp laughed. "I can breathe a little bit in it too! I'm going to see how far it goes down!"

"Usopp…!" Maon gasped as soon as the teen disappeared. Maon and Chopper both looked worriedly over at Robin and she gave a slight nod.

"I'll get him," she said, closing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. "Fleur Grab!" A series of connected hand sprouted from the side of the ship and in hardly any time at all, Usopp was flung over the side of the ship, back onto the deck.

"Aaahh!" Usopp screamed. "It was so horrible! I almost fell through!" He stood up and suddenly began jerking around. Reaching into his pants, he grabbed what looked like a fish, pulled it out and screamed.

"Hey, this looks like it should be one of those skyfish from Monblanc-san's journal," Robin said, grabbing the fish as soon as Usopp let it go from fright. The historian smiled at the wriggling creature, finding delight in the grief it had caused.

"Sooo… scary…" Usopp moaned as Chopper and Maon hovered over him, trying to get his collapsed figure to move again.

"Hm, I wonder if you can cook it," Sanji thought out loud as he looked over the wriggling fish. Robin walked over to the side of the ship and was about to throw it back overboard when what appeared to be a giant, lumbering octopus came up and angrily threatened the ship. Immediately, Zoro, Sanji and Gormal burst into fighting mode, easily taking out the octopus with surely and simply planted blades, kicks and bullets.

"Heh, I'm fairly sure you can cook this," Gormal smirked, nudging a dead tentacle with his foot. Sanji took a drag from his cigarette and looked at the mess of dead octopus that had been left on the deck.

"I guess Luffy and Maon are having takoyaki tonight," he said, flicking the ash off the smoldering cigarette and tossing it onto the ground.

"Takoyaki! Huzzah!" Maon cheered.

"Thanks Sanji!" Luffy exclaimed. The boy-captain was about to go and hug the chef when a resounding boom was heard in the near distance.

"What was that…?" Zoro asked. Everyone looked over the port side of the ship and saw what appeared to be a person gliding across the water.

"Who do you suppose that is?" Chopper asked. The swordsman, chef and deck hand tensed up, feeling an approaching fight. Sure enough, when the singular person was within close enough range, he was able to jump up with lightning speed and forcibly boarded the ship. There were what appeared to be skates strapped to his feet and an eight-foot staff clutched within his grasp.

"Remove yourselves from this place!" the stranger yelled, pointing his staff-weapon at Luffy. Usopp, Maon, Chopper and Nami backed away, for the stranger's appearance was one that was definitely most frightening. He was dressed in purposely barbaric garb and had a large, gruesome mask concealing his face. The whole costume seemed to be something to purposely frighten off visitors… or even spirits.

"I'm not going until I see Sky Island," Luffy said seriously, failing to do so much as flinch. Gormal and Zoro both sidestepped in front of their captain and pointed their weapons at the invader.

"You'd better leave," Zoro growled. "We don't take threats lightly."

"Shandian Brother," the stranger gasped. The man turned and seemed to be addressing Gormal. "Why are you with these strange men from below the clouds? Better yet, how did you get to travel with them?"

"Who are you…?" Gormal asked, glaring suspiciously at the warrior. His hand began to lightly shake under the confusion.

"Do you not know who I am?" the warrior asked. "Have you forgotten the Shandian way this quickly?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Gormal snarled, reinforcing his gun with two hands. The warrior shook his head and twirled his staff.

"Most intriguing. Your appearance led me to believe you to be one of my tribesmen, but it seems to me now that you are not," the stranger said with a scoffing sound. "It is a shame now that I will have to kill you all."

"In your dreams!" Gormal snarled, pulling the trigger on his pistol. The strange warrior-man moved and the bullet simply ricocheted off his mask and lodged itself in the mast. Zoro and Sanji tried to move to quickly counter the man and his staff, but unlike with the much slower sky-octopus, these moves had to be instantaneous and were not. Though their movements were only slightly off, it deeply affected their reaction time and the strange warrior had an advantage over them with speed. The staff easily blocked Zoro and Sanji, shocking both men.

"Burn Dial," snarled the warrior. Suddenly, the rounded tips of his staff began to emit flames, burning both Zoro and Sanji and knocking them away.

"LEAVE THIS PLACE NOW!" the stranger bellowed. "I WILL NOT WARN YOU AGAIN! I WILL KILL YOU ALL IF ANOTHER STEP FURTHER IS TAKEN!" He then went to go and beam Gormal with the flaming stick. The deck hand fired his pistol again, except this time, the warrior blocked the bullet with some sort of shell strapped to his hand, allowing the bullet to simply drop to the deck.

Gormal fired his pistol again and again, every time, the warrior stopping the bullets with the strange shell. Once seven bullets had been fired, he ran up to Gormal and before he could be blocked, pressed the shell up to Gormal's shoulder and hissed.

"Impact Dial."

There was the sound of an explosion and Gormal flew backwards, his shoulder spurting blood. Chopper, Usopp, Nami and Maon gasped as the deck hand began bleeding all over the deck, his shoulder seriously injured.

"Ah! Piss! What was that you just did to me!?" Gormal cursed as he clutched his shoulder. The warrior simply walked up to Gormal and pointed the strange shell at his face. Luffy instinctively began running towards them, somehow knowing what was coming next.

"Impac…" the warrior started. He was cut off though, by the whinny of a horse and the large flapping of wings. Everyone paused and looked up to see an old man in armor, grasping a lance and riding on a large spotted Pegasus.

"Stop this nonsense!" the old man warned. The warrior muttered an unintelligible curse and hopped off the _Merry Go_ and sped away on the mysterious craft he arrived on.

"Ugh," Zoro groaned as he and Sanji shakily got back up onto their feet. "My body won't move like I want it to! What's going on here?"

"I am surprised you people can move at all," the armored man said, watching in amazement as the swordsman and chef began bickering with each other.

"Who are you?" Usopp asked the new stranger, coming out from behind his barrel hiding place. He went and stood timidly behind Luffy in comparison with Chopper, who was reverse-peeking out from behind Nami.

"My name is Gan Fall," the knight said, keeping an ancient and regal air about him. "I am the protector of these seas. You lot must be from the Blue Seas, am I correct?"

"You are observant," Robin said. She watched the old knight and the Pegasus closely, ready to spring into action.

"I am amazed that you people can even move at this altitude. You guys are probably only the fourth ship to have made it up to these parts," Gan Fall said, scratching his long whiskers. "Most definitely the first in about twenty-five years. I assume you were clever enough to come here using High Waist?"

"Through what?" Maon asked.

"Haven't you been to a few islands already?" Gan Fall asked, his expression growing shocked. "I mean, you had to of… unless you came using Knock-Up Stream."

"You mean there is more than one Sky Island and more than one way to get here?" Nami asked uncertainly.

"Of course," the sea knight said. There are not all that many people left who would use the upwards-flowing current. Each way to get up here is a gamble, but coming by that devilish stream is either everyone makes it or everyone dies. I hope that you did not lose a crew or two coming here."

"Nope, this is all of us," Zoro said gruffly. He watched as Nami wallowed in horror at the fact that there was a safer way to come.

"Hey, this is a really cool horse you have here!" Luffy said, poking the Pegasus with a grin. The animal shook his head and changed shape, turning itself into a large sported bird.

"Oh, that's just Pierre," Gan Fall sighed. "Don't touch him." It was too late, for Luffy was already hugging the bird.

"Just ignore him," Sanji scoffed, lighting a cigarette. Gan Fall nodded and looked over at the injured Gormal and walked over as Chopper quickly broke out the bandages and antiseptic.

"I'm not surprised at this," the knight said, gingerly nudging Gormal with an armored toe. "You look so much like a Shandian…"

"What's a ruddy 'Shandian', you old codger?" Gormal groaned. "Sir Mask-n-Staff failed to fill me in."

"There are two different types of people in this part of the White Seas: Angel Islanders and Shandians," the man explained to the crew. "These people have been warring since they first met hundreds of years ago. Try not to get involved with anything. It's bad enough you have a crew member who strongly resembles one side. I suggest that you turn this ship around and go back to where you came from."

"We're supposed to go to Sky Island though!" Luffy whined as he held onto the ruffled Pierre.

"Once Luffy gets something in his mind, it doesn't come out until it is done," Zoro commented.

"Unlike someone we know, who's never had a thought to begin with," Sanji scoffed through a puff of smoke. Zoro growled and put a hand on the hilt of Yubashiri.

"Hey, watch it you two!" Nami scolded. She turned to face Gan Fall again and was greeted by a shiny silver whistle dangling from a cord.

"Take this," Gan Fall said. "Use it to call me if you need any more assistance, but only if necessary, for it can only be used once for free. Any extra uses would cost you more than a bit of pocket change."

"Okay then," Nami said. She and the others watched as Gan Fall pried Luffy off Pierre and the bird became a Pegasus once again. The man climbed atop his mount and began flying off.

"Remember to be careful!" he shouted before disappearing from sight.

"So in the end, the man never really did tell us anything truly useful, did he?" Robin sighed.

"He did too," Gormal groaned as he sat up, freshly bandaged by Chopper. "He explained what in the Pirate King's name that masked bastard had against me. I still don't understand it fully though. I've never heard of a 'Shandian' before in my life."

"Yeah, but everything is still pretty vague, other than those people fighting all the time," Usopp said. "Too vague to really be of any use."

"Well, I guess we have to be extra careful when sailing," Nami said. She took a look around the sea and frowned. "It all just seems to be so similar. Everything's white."

"Well, then why don't we see what some of this 'white' is, right guys?" Luffy smiled, looking out at a large formation of cloud just beyond them. The Mugiwara Kaizokudan all stared in wonder as they pulled the _Merry Go_ up next to the large, puffy cloud. It was big. It was white… and it was in the way.

"Should we blast it?" Gormal asked.

"I say we slice it," Zoro suggested, readying his swords.

"Nah. I'll just punch it away!" Luffy smiled. The captain drew back his arm and sent his fist flying into the cloud. To everyone's astonishment, the fist simply glided off, leaving the cloud unharmed.

"Holy crap!" Chopper gasped. "Luffy's punch was completely useless!" He looked over to his right in order to stare at Luffy, but the straw-hatted teen was not there. Instead, Luffy was bouncing around on the invincible cloud, happily laughing the whole time.

"Luffy, get off of that!" Nami scolded.

"It's so soft though!" Luffy smiled, hugging the cloud. "It feels so good!"

"Really!? Let me try!" shouted Usopp. He, Maon and Chopper followed their captain's suit and jumped onto the cloud and began to bounce around.

"Oi, act your age Maon!" Gormal snapped. "You're supposed to be older than me here!"

"Yeah, but I'm not a stick-in-the-mud like you are!" the musician chuckled. Gormal glared and folded his arms in complete disapproval.

"Let them play," Sanji said as he exhaled a breath of his cigarette. "They're not causing any harm."

"Hey!" Usopp suddenly exclaimed, pointing into the distance behind the cloud. "I can see something! It looks like a waterfall!"

"Really!?" Nami asked excitedly. "Can you see a way around this cloud?"

"We sure can!" Chopper shouted happily.

"Good! Then help me out!" Nami shouted back. The reindeer giggled and went over to the other side of the cloud.

"There's a path over here!" he called out.

"Alright then!" Nami said. "Let's go!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The Warrior/Gan Fall Incident: I assume that most reading this story are familiar with this particular even in One Piece canon. If you haven't, that's alright too, since I know that not everyone wants to bother themselves with spoilers. Still, I liked using this piece of character interaction for future plot hinting. Good stuff right there.

Gormal's Grapple: I thought it would be more fun if the warrior was extremely close to killing off a Mugiwara at this point in time. It also adds a bit of intrigue for the crew, of course. Plus it's a spiffy serving of Gormal-hate. I know you want it. I was infected when I wrote it.

Title: In accordance to wikipedia, _Take-Mikazuchi _is the Shinto god of thunder. Pattern prediction anyone?


	29. Ukko's Paradise

Yeah. -nod- Nothing much really, other than I am greatness in the fact I actually converted someone to the One Piece fiction-dom. Reading that review made me so pleased. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Sakura**_-chan (who is a lovely, lovely person), _**OneDreamADay**_-san and **_weixuan_**-san I do not own _One Piece_. Um, I also would like to direct the attention of humor-fic lovers to my story "Don't Tell Dad I'm Dating the Straw Hat", because I sort of want a review... please?

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _Ukko's Paradise_

"I hate clouds, I hate clouds, I hate clouds," Gormal cursed as Nami barked orders at the rest of the crew about where to steer the ship. They were going through a labyrinth of white, puffy cloud, being guided by Luffy, Chopper, Usopp and Maon as the four bounced along on the clouds besides them.

"I can see the exit!" Luffy cheered. He jumped back onto the deck of the _Merry Go_ and perched himself on the ram's head prow.

"This is insane," Zoro said as the remaining three crew members stumbled back onto the deck. "How can everything here be so white?"

"I have no idea, but it sets me right off," Gormal snarled. "Everything looks the same here. You'd have to get some pretty thing to catch my attention in order for me to change my mind about this place."

"Typical guy," Nami muttered. She watched as the _Merry Go_ exited the cloud maze and they came upon a large gate, emblazoned with the words "Heaven's Gate" across the archway.

"Wha…!?" Usopp gasped. "Heaven!? Are we dead!?"

"Doesn't feel like it," Luffy said, looking curiously at his hand. Zoro chuckled silently to himself as distance between the ship and the gate became less and less.

'_I don't like the feel of this,'_ Kuina's voice said warily. _'This place looks too perfect. Something has to be off.'_

_Will you relax already? _Zoro sighed internally._ I think the rest of us realize that we're going into the unknown._

'_Unknown? You're walking blindly into a potential death trap.'_

_...which is what we do on every adventure._

'_I think being on a floating sea is a huge exception.'_

_Why did you have to die? It would have been great if you were standing next to me._

'_I died so you could live, baka,'_ Kuina scoffed. She wanted to say something else, but the sound of Maon shouting cut her off.

"There's someone at the platform!" the redheaded man said, looking over the side of the ship as it glided into the gate. A shriveled, short woman stood on the platform that was on one side of the gate. Before them, the pirates found that there was an impossibly steep river blocking their way.

"You there, how many is in your crew?" ordered the old woman. She held up a device and a small flash of light was emitted, as well as a clicking noise.

"There's nine of us," Luffy announced.

"Nine billion extols," the woman said, holding out her hand. "That is the fee to get into the country."

"Nine billion!?" Chopper gasped. "We don't have any extols! All we have is berri!"

"You do not have to pay me, you may still go on if you wish," the woman said. "It is just advised that you pay me first."

"Well, we don't have any of your kind of money, so there!" Nami scoffed.

"As you wish," sighed the woman. Then, a pair of giant claws came up from the ivory depths and latched onto either side of the _Merry Go_. There was a crunching noise heard as the wooden railings began to give way, drowning out the old woman's voice. "Speedy Shrimp, deliver the travelers."

There was a lurch of the ship and then a burst of forward thrust that knocked all of the ship's occupants down to the deck. The thin air rushed past their ears as the _Merry Go_ rocketed up the steep pathway.

"What is this?" Robin asked as she struggled to her feet. Using her ability to sprout an eye in her hand, she looked over the side of the ship to see a rather large shrimp scuttling along underneath them, quite similar to the large crab in Alabasta.

"What do you see Robin?" Nami asked. The archaeologist simply smiled upon answering.

"We're in good claws."

"Hey, I think I see the exit!" Sanji shouted, pointing forward. There was a large wooden banner straight ahead of them that read "Skypiea" in great, large letters. The shrimp took careful aim and threw the caravel through the exit, catapulting the pirates onto another milky-white sea.

"Oh, not another one," Gormal groaned once he found his breath long enough to glance around.

"Hey, it looks like there's an island over there," Usopp said. Sure enough, not too far off, there lay an island. The rest of the crew cheered and they steered the ship towards the island. Once they were about a hundred meters from the shore, Luffy, Chopper and Usopp jumped off the side in anticipation and swam to the shore.

"Hey! Wait you guys!" Maon called out, jumping off the side as well. Nami and Sanji soon followed them, leaving only Gormal, Zoro and Robin on the ship.

"It is hard to believe that this place even exists," Robin smiled, watching as the rest of the crew swam up to the shore. "This place is so peaceful. We can finally just relax."

"It seems rather suspicious to me," Gormal said, looking out at the seashore. "Where's the bottom? Shouldn't we anchor? What about those extol things?"

'_Ask about the natives!' _Kuina whispered in Zoro's consciousness. _'They did attack us, right?'_

"What about that warrior guy?" Zoro asked out loud. "Where there's one, there has to be more, right?"

"I think we've been up here long enough for us to be able to take care of ourselves," Robin said. She crouched up on the railing and gracefully jumped off the edge of the ship and into the ivory waves.

"You have a bad feeling too then, right?" Gormal asked Zoro as they both stood on the deck.

"Of course. The little voice in my head is telling me we should go back," Zoro said with a frown. He looked at the shore and saw Luffy running around, screaming about smelling adventure. "This place looks too pretty to be safe."

"So even your conscious decides to make an appearance for this one," Gormal muttered. He too watched as their nakama on the shore found interesting plants, ran around the fluffy beach and began discovering white blocky furniture made of cloud. With a weary sigh, the deck hand climbed up onto the railing and crouched down, ready to spring forth. "Come on. Wanna race?"

"I don't race when I swim," Zoro growled, getting up onto the railing besides Gormal. Both men glared at one another right before simultaneously jumping off and swimming as fast as they could through the cloud sea and onto the beach.

"Come on you guys! We have to go exploring!" Luffy announced with glee as his final two crew members came to shore.

"We have to be careful," Nami said critically. "We don't know what's on this island as far as people, plants or animals. There's still that warrior guy to worry about…"

"He might not even be on this island," Usopp said. "Remember that Gan Fall said there were other islands around? He could have been from one of them."

"Still, we should be careful until we know that it is safe to relax," Sanji said. "I doubt that the military is up here too, but you never know."

"All I know is that it will feel good to relax for once!" Maon smiled.

"You said it!" Chopper cheered. Zoro was about to make a comment when he was cut off by an unfamiliar voice from just beyond them.

"Heso," the soft voice called out. Everyone's heads turned towards the source of the voice to find a young woman standing before them, a fluffy white fox by her side. The woman was pale with fair blonde hair and shining blue eyes. She looked every part an angel, for she even had miniature wings attached to her back. "Who may you be?"

"I… ano…" Gormal sputtered, being the closest to the woman. He froze in place as she approached him.

"You do not look like you are residents of Skypiea," she said, walking up close to Gormal and looking into his eyes with innocent curiosity. The deck hand backed away nervously.

"That's because we aren't," Usopp mentioned.

"Then you are from the Blue Seas!?" the strange woman exclaimed happily. "How exciting! My name is Conis and this is my cloud fox, Suu."

"Suu! Suu!" the fox purred.

"Why good afternoon my lovely angel," Sanji cooed, coming right up to Conis and giving her a devilish smirk. The rest of the crew that knew what the smirk meant rolled their eyes in frustration at the chef. Conis looked at Sanji with a look of thorough confusion and gave a nervously fake smile.

"What is it that brings you here from the Blue Seas?" she asked, looking around for someone to answer other than Sanji. To her relief, Luffy piped up immediately.

"We found a map for here and decided to go!" the captain said happily.

"You mean that _you_ decided that we would come here?" Nami snapped, grinding her fist into Luffy's skull. Conis giggled softly and watched the captain and navigator scrap mildly.

"Since you lot are from the Blue Seas, I would have to guess though that you know nothing about Skypiean life; am I correct?" she said.

"You are indeed correct," Robin answered. "Will you be so kind as to show us what there is to life up here?"

"Sure, I can do my best," the young blonde smiled. She then gasped, as if something caught her eye suddenly and ran towards the shore. "There's my father out on a waver! Father! Heso!"

"What are they talking about?" Maon asked Usopp. The sniper shrugged and they stayed silent as a man riding a water scooter came rushing up to the group. The second he reached the cloud beach, the man fell off the craft and face first into the shore.

"Father, I met some visitors from the Blue Seas today! Look!" Conis said excitedly, helping her father up as if his fall was a normal occurrence. The dark-haired man looked over at the Mugiwara Kaizokudan and gasped out of surprise.

"Oh my!" he said in a startled voice. "I apologize. I cannot remember the last time there were Blue Sea residents in Skypiea. Heso. My name is Pagaya and I am Conis's father. I am sure that you want to have us show you around, correct?"

"Hey oji-san, what's this?" Chopper asked, prodding the strange craft.

"Oh! This? It is just a waver," Pagaya answered. "It is a major form of transportation around here."

"I wanna try!" Luffy said, a hungry expression on his face.

"Okay," Pagaya said warily. "Just be careful though. It takes years of practice usually to get it right. My Conis has just recently achieved her first successful ride, right?"

"Yeah," Conis admitted, blushing slightly.

"Whahoo!" Luffy cheered as he stepped up onto the waver and sped off without waiting to receive instruction from Pagaya. He tried to turn and ended up capsizing, forcing Gormal to swim out and fetch him before he sank in the deep waves that were past where they had left _Merry Go_.

"Oh! I am so sorry about that!" Pagaya panicked as Luffy and waver were dragged to shore.

"It's not your fault," Gormal said, unceremoniously dropping Luffy onto the soft beach. "The guy can be a real idiot sometimes." The deck hand noticed that as he flopped down onto the beach, both Conis and Pagaya were running inquisitive eyes over him.

"I think maybe I should try," Nami said, hopping onto the waver. She took off and began perfectly gliding about, much to the amazement of the rest of the crew.

"Wow! That's great Nami-san!" Sanji shouted.

"Really cool!" Chopper added loudly.

"Well, I think it should be getting close to dinnertime," Pagaya sighed as he watched Nami ride about on the waver. "Would you like to come back to my house? I just finished catching some sky lobsters."

"As long as I can help!" Sanji said, his ears perking up at the mention of possibly preparing new food.

"Alright then! Let us go," Conis said.

"Hey, you coming Nami!?" Luffy shouted out at the navigator.

"I'm going to stay out a little while longer!" Nami replied. She jumped a wave and laughed giddily.

"It will be fine," Pagaya said as he, Conis and Suu began walking off. The pirates followed as they walked towards a large staircase and began to scale it. All around there was white, puffy clouds, creating a stark-white landscape. Just beyond the staircase, there was a large quarry-like place where there were people going about with large blades, cutting out blocked shaped clouds.

"What are they doing?" Zoro asked.

"They're harvesting the denser part of the cloud, cutting it up into blocks so that we can use it to make buildings and other things," Pagaya explained. "It is a simple process as long as you understand the structure of the cloud that is being cut."

"Interesting…" Zoro said, his voice trailing off as he continued to walk along. _Kuina, this is all a bit creepy, isn't it?_

'_Told you so.'_

_Not now._

'_I did though. I knew it felt like bad news from the moment Luffy wanted to go.'_

_Sure you did_, Zoro scoffed. He heard some more of Kuina's lecturing before they came up to a house that was completely made from the cloud-block that they had just seen earlier.

"Welcome to our home," Conis said with a smile. Suu gave out small yips and jumped around. The Mugiwara Kaizokudan all smiled and the ten walked into the house together.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

"Heso": It means "bellybutton" and is how Angel Islanders often greet one another and is used randomly.

Take A Guess: Where is the foreshadowing? If you know, you get a cookie!

This Chapter's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Ukko is the Finnish god of thunder. Who knew? -shrugs-


	30. Dancing with Purkuno's Wrath

Wow. As of yesterday, I've been on for three full years. I bet that I'll probably turn out more than fifty-two stories within my next three years. I think my goal should be to expand my fiction-coverings, as well as return to other fandoms and maybe, just maybe, finish the _Slayers _AU that's been sitting in silence for the past few months. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**4**_-san, _**Dream**_-san, _**Sakura**_-chan, _**Butterfly**_-san and _**weixuan**_-san. I liked the guesses about the foreshadowing. All very good theories, and sort of true. None of them were the specific bit I was hinting at, but that's perfectly fine. I guess I do sort of pepper everything with foreshadowing. It's a shade bit mean to ask for everyone to find one specific thing when that one specific thing could be a lot of specific things. I'll shut up now.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _Dancing with Purkuno's Wrath_

"Wow! The view from here is great Conis!" Chopper marveled as he watched Nami speed around on the sea from a balcony in the back of Conis's home.

"Truly spectacular," Maon added, for he too was looking beyond the balcony ledge. The group had already done introductions and Sanji had shuffled off to the kitchen to help Pagaya with the cooking.

"That is nothing really," Conis said. "Houses higher up the staircase usually are twice what this is. What I really wanted to show you is right here." She held up a shell as the pirates gathered around her. "Go on; say something."

"You're a git, poofter-marimo," Gormal chuckled. Zoro's gaze snapped over towards Gormal and his hand found his swords.

"You wanna go you bastard?" the swordsman snarled.

"Minna! Please!" Conis said, stepping between the two. She held out the shell so that it was within arm's length of Luffy. "Go on… press it!"

"Okay…" Luffy said, warily pressing down on the center of the shell.

"_You're a git, poofter-marimo… You wanna go you bastard?_" the shell repeated, mimicking Gormal and Zoro's voices perfectly. The pirates all stared wide-eyed at the shell and gawked, Gormal and Zoro being particularly silent.

"This is a device called a 'dial'," Conis explained. "There are different types of dials and they all do different things. This model records voices. Others record video, store energy and even hold large reserves of certain things like wind and water."

"Extraordinary," Maon gaped.

"This is really cool. We could do a lot with these dials," Usopp said, taking the shell from Conis's hand and examining it closely. "So you say that others can store wind? How is that?"

"Oh, that's easy," Conis smiled. "You put the opening of the dial to the wind. If you have it catch a minute's worth of wind, only a minute's worth of wind will come out. It's the same with light or smells or just about any other sort of thing you could store in a dial." She walked over to what resembled a lamp and pressed a button on the device, setting it alight with a warm, soft glow.

'_Wow,'_ Kuina marveled. _'That's amazing…'_

…_and who said that this place was dangerous?_

'_I never changed my mind about that you know. I just said that the thing was interesting.'_

"Dinner is ready!" announced Sanji as he pranced into the room. "Conis-chan, Robin-chwan, I have specially prepared dinners for the both of you!"

"You're such a pansy, you know that?" Gormal groaned as Sanji swooned over the girls. The blond watched lovingly as the two females walked towards the room's exit for their dinner and glared at the deck hand.

"I am just going to pretend you didn't say that," he sneered. Sanji then went over to the deck and looked out towards the water. "I wonder where Nami-swan is. I don't see her."

"Oh, she should be alright," Conis said, "provided she stays away from the one place all us here on Angel Island avoid: Upper Yard. That is where Kami-sama lives and going there is a high-classed crime."

"Kami-sama?" Luffy asked.

"Yes," Conis said. "He is the one who rules over us and keeps us safe. Without Eneru-kami-sama, all of Skypiea would fall into disarray."

"Eh, okay," the young captain said nonchalantly.

"Luffy, did you listen to what she said?" Usopp scolded.

"Well, Kami-sama is supposed to be forgiving, correct?" Maon said. "I am sure he would forgive Nami for not knowing the rules she's never heard before."

"Yet I am sure that if you break a rule of Kami-sama, that is disrespecting Kami-sama," Robin said quietly.

"Alright, well, we still have to find Nami, right?" Luffy said. "Let's go!"

"We don't know where she went exactly, so we shouldn't just charge into Upper Yard like hooligans," Conis said resolutely.

"Well then," Pagaya said, starting for the front door. "I apologize for all of the fuss. Let us go to find your friend."

"I'm going to stay behind for a little bit and pack up everyone's food," Sanji said. "It would be a shame to waste such meals." He pointed at Luffy, Usopp and Gormal and sneered. "You're helping."

"Then I am going to stay in order to help you find your way back to the beach," Conis said.

"Right, well be sure to hurry along," Pagaya said. He beckoned for the rest of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan to follow him.

"Be careful," Conis said as her father, as well as Robin, Zoro, Maon and Chopper left the house.

"Don't worry about them," Gormal said as soon as the others left. "They're able to take care of themselves. I only recently joined up, but I can tell that they're all fairly self-sufficient."

"That is good to know," Conis sighed. She smiled at Gormal, who looked away in embarrassment.

"Come Conis-chan!" Sanji swooned. "Let us prepare the lunch boxes together!"

"Okay," Conis grinned nervously, following the chef into the kitchen. Gormal smiled morosely as he watched her disappear behind the door.

"Find that 'pretty thing' that might convince you to stay?" Usopp chuckled, nudging Gormal with his elbow. The dark-skinned man grunted and with one hand, easily shoved Usopp into the wall. Usopp readied himself for a slapping-fight when Luffy came over with one of the dials that were sitting on the nearby table and shoved into Gormal's hands.

"Press the button!" Luffy beamed. Gormal raised his eyebrow at the straw-hatted boy and did as he was told. The dial hissed and suddenly, a rather nasty and offensive odor began to fill the air.

"LUFFY!" Usopp and Gormal bellowed at once. Luffy gulped and dashed away, knowing that if he stayed in one spot, he would most definitely be beaten into a rubbery pulp.

**80808080808080808**

"This is a most impressive ship," Pagaya said as he stood on the beach marveling at the _Merry Go_. The pirates standing around him just rolled their eyes.

"It's just a caravel," Maon said. "She serves us just fine, but there are much bigger ships out there. Haven't you ever seen ships like this?"

"Sorry, not really," Pagaya said. "There was the time when I was a child that some Blue Seas pirates came, but they were chased out by the barbarians and I never got to speak with any of them. Their captain and their ship was most impressive to observe from afar…"

"Hey, what's up with them?" Zoro asked, pointing over to their right. Sure enough, there were a bunch of soldier-looking men crouched down on the open beach, crawling towards the group. They all wore white beret hats and white-and-grey camouflage pants. Every one looked almost identical, aside from the soldier in the very front of the pack.

"That certainly is strange," Robin sighed. The soldier at the front gasped and jumped straight up, standing at tension with his hand behind his head.

"Heso! We've been spotted men!" he shouted. The rest of the soldiers stood immediately at tension.

"HESO!" they all shouted.

"Heso Officer McKinley," Pagaya said cheerfully. "What a pleasant day, isn't it?" McKinley, the leader of the soldiers, completely ignored Pagaya's greeting and pointed directly at the pirates.

"You!" he shouted. "You are the illegal trespassers Amazon-san caught with her video dial!"

'_Oh crap,'_ Kuina cursed. Zoro scowled at her curse, but said nothing in response.

"Illegal trespassers!?" Pagaya panicked. "I apologize, but how can that be? These people are not bad! They are quite the opposite! The White Berets need not to bother with them!"

"Do not turn something so simple as an Eleventh Class crime into a big fuss," McKinley sighed, his tone revealing that he had obviously met Pagaya on many a minor occasion. "All they need to do is pay the fee and they will be turned into normal tourists without hesitation."

"Oh, so then this is about not paying the old woman's fee at the gate?" Chopper asked.

"I guess so," Robin said thoughtfully.

"The fine is paying ten times the entrance fee: ninety billion extols!" McKinley announced.

"Ninety billion extols!?" Maon gasped. "How much would that be in berri?"

"You use the currency of the Blue Seas?" McKinley questioned, slightly puzzled. He shrugged and continued on nonchalantly. "There is a thousand extols to a berri, so that would mean that you would have to pay nine million berri."

"That's way too much!" Zoro scoffed.

"It would have been lower had you paid to begin with," Pagaya said with an innocent smile. The pirates all scowled at the man, who recoiled in surprised fear.

"Hey!" Chopper blurted out, pointing at the sea. "I think I see Nami!" Sure enough, the navigator was speeding towards them on the borrowed waver, seemingly in a bit of distress.

"Oi Nami!" Maon shouted. "The police are here to make us pay nine million berri for being illegal! You can fix that, right!?"

"Is that one of your crew members?" McKinley asked curiously. He watched as the waver sped dangerously close and before he realized what was going on, was slammed in the face with the bottom of the waver.

"That's too much money!" Nami screeched. She hopped off the waver before it tumbled into the ground and crashed McKinley's skull firmly into a tree.

"Nami!" Maon and Chopper gasped. The navigator paid no attention to the musician and doctor's scolding words and turned towards Pagaya.

"Thanks for letting me borrow the waver," she panted. "It was very fun."

"Ano... you're welcome...?" Pagaya said nervously. He began to walk over towards the waver, but McKinley shoved it off of him, making the older man recoil in surprise.

"Woman! By doing that you have hindered our efforts to enforce Kami-sama's laws!" the White Beret roared. "I was going to be kind to you, but my patience with this matter has run out! You lot have now been upgraded to being Fifth Class criminals! I hereby sentence you to Drifting Cloud!"

"Drifting Cloud...?" Robin asked.

"It is the death sentence!" Pagaya panicked. "They will put you and your ship on a piece of island cloud and let you drift to your doom!"

"Well, that explains the ships falling from the sky," the archaeologist mused. Her ears then perked up as she heard a rusting amongst the nearby trees and prepared for an ambush. To her surprise, as well as everyone else's, Luffy tumbled out of the brush, covered from head to toe in leaves, branches and bramble.

"Ow!" the captain groaned. He turned around and double-checked to make sure he was not followed. "Usopp and Gormal can't take a joke!"

"Who are you!?" McKinley snapped at Luffy. "Explain yourself!"

"Me? I'm the captain of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan!" Luffy announced proudly. McKinley's eye twitched.

"You are the ringleader of this band of hooligans!? You must pay the price as well! Troops! Prepare to attack the criminals!" At McKinley's words, the rest of the soldiers drew arrows from the shafts strapped to their backs and knocked them on bows from the same container.

"ARROW OF CLOUD!" shouted the soldiers as they released their arrows. The weapons flew through the air, white puffy jet streams following behind.

"Everyone get on the _Merry Go_!" Luffy ordered. "Man, all I do is show up and they start shooting at me." He watched as the arrows flew towards him and he easily dodged out of the way, only to discover that the jet streams left behind by the projectiles were clearly solid.

"After them!" McKinley ordered as the pirates began to head towards their ship. Instinctively, the soldiers jumped onto the solid jet stream clouds and began running towards everyone. Luffy stood in their way as daggers were drawn. Crouching down, the teen sprang upwards as the soldiers attacked him. Finding that he needed just a little bit more length, Luffy stretched out his arm and grabbed onto a nearby tree branch.

"Oh my!" Pagaya gasped, his eyes growing wide. "The boy's arm! It just stretched!"

"You people sure do have some strange weapons!" Luffy said with a laugh. He jumped out of the tree and began twirling around in preparation for an attack.

"I never thought...!" McKinley whispered, absolutely horrified. "Devil Fruit!"

"Gomu-Gomu no FIREWORK!" Luffy cried out. Suddenly, the captain's fists and feet ended up finding every last one of the White Berets, sending many of them into the nearby waves.

"Luffy!" Nami scolded as she looked back at the fray from the deck of the _Merry Go. _"You did not have to do that!"

"Sure I did!" Luffy smiled. He stretched out his arm and grabbed hold of the mast, launching himself at the ship.

"Now that I think about it Nami," Zoro said thoughtfully. "How much money do we have on the ship?"

"Fifty thousand, as if you should care," Nami snapped.

"Wai! We're so poor!" Chopper wailed.

"Don't worry about it," Maon assured the reindeer.

"So what you are saying is that we would not have been able to pay for even one of us to enter from the very beginning?" Robin inquired.

"Exactly," Nami growled, her memory envisioning the old woman of a gatekeeper. The navigator clenched her fist and ground her teeth at the mere thought of her.

"You are going to get it now!" McKinley roared. "We would have dealt with you in a civilized manner had you simply did as we said! Now, you are going to have to deal with _**them**_!"

"Them...?" the pirates all asked in unison.

"Your status has been moved to Second Class criminals!" McKinley bellowed. "Let the Priests of the All-Mighty Eneru-Kami-sama judge you without mercy! You are to be banished to Upper Yard, with no chance for reparation or pardon!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The end of this chapter marks the end of chapter 242 in the manga series. Amazing, eh? Unfortunately for those who have yet to get to the Skypiea Arc in the anime/manga, I am going to use my fiction-ka's ability of artistic license and am going to alter the story from here on out to make the load more manageable, since when reviewing over the canon plot, there's a ton of stuff shoved in here and there. By the way, I know there's really no bramble for Luffy to get caught in, but humor me please. Also, in accordance to wikipedia, Purkuno is/was at some point in time the Prussian god of thunder.


	31. So Says Enlil

So it would seem I am updating a day early. This would be because I am on a current Heroes gush and might not be able to remember to update tomorrow. That season finale was wicked killer! Now I'm getting sucked into writing Heroes fanfiction, as well as a dark-fic for One Piece, which I do not own (One Piece). Reviewer thanks go out to _**Butterfly**_-san, **_weixuan_**-san and _**Sakura**_-chan. Forgive me if the beta-ing sucks. I sort of rushed it along.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _So Says Enlil_

"Do you hear something Sanji?" Usopp asked, looking up from picking the stickers out of his leg from when he chased Luffy into the brambles outside. He glanced over to find Sanji was completely ignoring him and was gazing lovingly at Conis. Gormal was sitting next to the chef, shooting him rather nasty glares as the blond man meticulously put together a lunch box.

"Here you go Conis-chan," Sanji purred, holding out the box. "This one is especially for you."

"How thoughtful Sanji-san!" Conis smiled. "It is very beautiful."

"It all ends up in the same place anyways," Gormal growled. "I don't know why you're even bothering."

"How dare you!" Sanji snipped. "There is an art to cooking and a large portion of it happens to be the visual effect of the meal one presents!"

"Ruddy pansy," scoffed the deck hand.

"You want to go?"

"Bring it."

"Are you guys listening to me!?" Usopp demanded from the other side of the room. The three working on the food stopped and turned towards the sniper.

"What's the matter Usopp-san?" Conis asked, taking the moment to get away from the feuding men.

"Something's going on down at the beach," Usopp said, pointing out the window. The four walked out onto the balcony and gazed out towards the shore. They could see streams of fluffy cloud and Luffy bouncing up above them. Conis gasped as the pirate captain released his Gomu-Gomu no Firework and demolished the White Berets.

"Oh no!" she cried. "It's the White Berets! Why would the White Berets want anything to do with you guys? They're the police force of Angel Island!"

"You don't think it's because of what that old man said I resembled, eh?" Gormal asked quietly.

"No," Usopp answered. "If you ask me, it is probably because of that old woman whining about her money."

"Old woman...?" Conis questioned. "What old woman?"

"She stood at the gate to this place and demanded that we pay an insane fare to get here," Usopp explained. "I don't know how that could amount to the police wanting to arrest us."

"Amazon-san must have reported you as illegal aliens," Conis said, her voice shaking. "Now that Luffy-san has attacked the White Berets, you all are in much deeper trouble than before."

"Great," the three men sighed together. They all watched as Luffy boarded the _Merry Go _and the ship began to sail off for a more favorable place to anchor. The four were almost ready to go pack up when the most dreadful thing happened... the ship lurched upwards, revealing a large crustacean gripping onto the vessel.

"Shit! What is that!?" Sanji cursed.

"That bugger has to be thrice as large as the ship!" Gormal added.

"No!" Conis panicked. Her eyes grew wide in fear. "That is a special version of the speedy shrimp! It works for Eneru-kami-sama and his priests!"

"Ah! What are we going to do!?" Usopp gasped. He looked from Sanji to Gormal and back again, trying to figure out which of them had a plan.

"Whatever it is, it is going to have to be done quickly," Conis said. "The shrimp brings ships to the sacrificial altar on Kami-sama's territory, Upper Yard."

"Sacrifices?" Sanji gaped. "Nami-swan and Robin-chwan are going to become sacrifices!?"

"Not exactly. They are more hostages than sacrifices. We were told about this in school, so that none of us would be foolish enough to be troublesome enough to have to be sent to Upper Yard. You three are the ones being 'judged'. Without you going into Upper Yard and rescuing the ship and your crewmates, they will be left in the hands of the Priests and will most likely be killed."

"Then how do we get to pass this 'judgment' in Upper Yard?" Gormal asked.

"You have to travel there through the Milky Road. It is the only natural cloud river on Angel Island. It is the only way, since there are many artificial rivers placed everywhere you could think of elsewhere, acting as barriers to those trying to escape."

"So we go there, beat up on the headdress-wearing fops, get the crew and go, right?" Gormal said. "Simple."

"It is never as simple as that," Conis said gravely. "Eneru-kami-sama also lives in Upper Yard. You must never underestimate him or any of his priests."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Sanji smiled through a puff of his cigarette. "Let's go to Upper Yard."

**80808080808080808**

Sanji, Gormal and Usopp walked closely behind Conis as they traveled down the large street. Lovely Street, as it was known as, was the only large street of any sort on Angel Island. It was filled with all sorts of shops, restaurants and encased relics labeled exclusively as "Vearth". All three pirates could not help but to stare at everything as they collectively walked past.

"Wow, this produce is very interesting," Sanji said as he stopped in front of a grocer's shopfront. He was quickly dragged away by Conis, who was hurrying them all along.

"We have to get to the docks on the other end of Lovely Street as soon as possible," she explained. "I have transportation for you three to use in order to save your crewmates."

"Is that the dock?" Usopp asked, pointing towards a small wharf.

"Yes, it is," Conis said. She walked over to a small gondola and crouched down in order to untie it from the dock. "This is my boat. I've been using it instead of a waver, but since I can ride the waver, I'm not too worried about you three using it." She almost had the boat untied when she looked up and pointed into the distance. "Oh, I almost forgot! You have to take the second gate to port and that will take you directly to Milky Road."

"Thanks Conis," Gormal said. He put a hand on her shoulder and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Is there anything wrong?"

"W-Why would you say that?" the young woman asked, her voice quavering. "Is it that obvious...?"

"Does that mean you're worried about us Conis-chan?!" Sanji asked gleefully. Usopp elbowed the chef and motioned for him to knock it off.

"Telling us details, making sure we never strayed from our destination... it all points to something being wrong," Gormal said. "Besides, you look sheet-white and have been shaking since we left your place. Maybe we should have come here ourselves."

"N-No..." Conis squeaked.

"You know, now that I think about it," Usopp said, "everyone was avoiding us on the street. Plus, wouldn't loaning us your boat make you a criminal too?"

"Don't look now, but I think we're being watched," Sanji said, glaring out of the corner of his eye at the people in the street. Most had stopped what they were doing to watch the four at the dock.

"Just..." Conis sniffled, tears running down her face. "Just go already."

"Conis, what's the matter?" Gormal asked. The woman looked up with tearful eyes, making the man jump back, memories of Annette and his cousin in distress ebbing up into his consciousness.

"I'm sorry!" Conis shouted, painfully looking away from the deck hand. "It was me! I am so sorry!"

"What do you mean Conis-chan?" Sanji asked, raising a curly eyebrow.

"Don't you dare!" shouted someone from the crowd. "You know the law!"

"I was the one who called for the shrimp to take your ship away!" Conis cried loudly. "It was me! I knew you were criminals from the very beginning! It is Eneru-kami-sama's decree that if we don't deliver criminals to the Judgment Ground, it means death!"

"Why did you tell us then!?" Usopp asked crossly. Conis looked up, still shaking. She saw that the pirates looked both shocked and angered, while the other people on the street were running away from the wharf. There was a low rumbling noise in the distance as a bright light began to envelop the sky. The four by the dock looked up and gasped at the white-hot intensity of the light above them. Usopp screamed for his life. Sanji cursed as his eyes grew large. Gormal impulsively knocked Conis to the ground and stood over her in order to shield her. There was the sound of heavy wings flapping and the resounding boom of an explosion as the light collided with the wharf and shook everyone to the ground.

"Conis-chan!" Sanji cried out as soon as the light faded. Where Conis and Gormal had been, there was a large burnt indentation in the ground. The chef was awestruck as he stared blankly at the remnants of the attack.

"Sanji! Look!" Usopp said, pointing over Sanji's shoulder. They looked and saw that Gan Fall the Knight had Conis and Gormal sitting with him on Pierre. Both appeared to be more than slightly startled as they sat between Pierre's saddle and neck, Gormal still holding onto Conis protectively. Gan Fall looked at the two and sighed, throwing Gormal off of the flying mount and keeping Conis. The dark-skinned man landed firmly on his shoulder, cursing painfully on impact.

"The girl will be safer with me," he told the three pirates. "Think of this as a special favor."

"Couldn't you have been a little softer in setting me down old man!?" Gormal snapped at the knight.

"You can at least fight for yourself," Gan Fall scolded. "Now that you know about this country's secret and the power of their ruler, I leave it to you to decide on where to go from here." With that, he flew off, leaving the three pirates to their own devices.

"Oh, great," Gormal groaned as he watched Conis and Gan Fall fly off.

"Hey, this just means that we have to kick up the pace," Sanji smiled, getting a running start on hopping into the gondola Conis was loaning them. Usopp and Gormal followed and they sailed off towards the Milky Road.

"Are you going to be alright Gormal?" Usopp asked as the deck hand winced flexing his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

From that point on, the three pirates were silent as they entered Milky Road. They kept on their guard as the ship putted along using the two dials attached to the back. Sanji carefully steered as Gormal and Usopp watched on. They came towards a large and foreboding forest and very soon, found themselves in the middle of it.

"I don't like this," Usopp said, his knees quaking.

"Oh, will you cut it out already," Sanji spat. "It's bad enough I have to leave Conis's side in order to go forth and rescue the defenseless Nami-san and Robin-chan."

"You sicken me," Gormal sighed, rolling his eyes. "Don't think you're ever the only one worried about anyone!"

"What, are you saying that you're worried about Nami-san and Robin-chan too?" Sanji asked, sounding rather defensive.

"They can take care of themselves. Besides, Zoro and Luffy are with them," Gormal said, scanning the horizon. "I think that right now though, we should be worrying more about ourselves than the girls."

"Why do you say that?" Sanji snarled, getting ready to drop kick the deck hand off the gondola. Gormal pointed at the distance and scowled. Within moments, Sanji and Usopp could see the gate that had four openings in it. Each one had a different word written above it, the script ornate and flowing.

"'_Trial of Swamp'_, '_Trial of Iron'_, '_Trial of String'_ and '_Trial of Orb'_," Usopp read. "I'm guessing that we're supposed to pick whichever is the least menacing-sounding tunnel. How about _String_?"

"Not _String_," Sanji said. "You can still be hung by it and sliced if it's thin enough."

"_Swamp_ seems too deceptive and we don't have anything that can break _Iron_…" Gormal observed. "I guess the only one left is _Orb_."

"What if it's a giant rolling boulder that's trying to squish us!?" Usopp asked as Sanji began to steer the ship towards the orb trial.

"Actually, I'm hoping that's what it is," the chef answered. Usopp gulped at the response and sat down quietly.

"Thanks for making me feel better," he muttered under his breath. The sniper could not help but to let the hairs on the back of his neck bristle with the tenseness of the air as they passed through the tunnel. They came out to face another forest, but it was not long before they knew they were not alone.

"Ho ho-ho!" echoed a voice menacingly. Usopp began to look all around wildly, while Gormal and Sanji kept their ears perked.

"Who's there!?" Gormal bellowed. Quickly, he spun around and drew his pistol, firing at an ivory orb that was spinning towards them. The orb exploded and revealed that it contained nothing but air.

"You're reflexes are good, but not good enough to defeat me!" laughed the mysterious voice. "My trial has a ten percent survival rate."

"A ten percent survival rate for dealing with a whole bunch of empty floating balls?" Usopp asked skeptically as more of the orbs appeared around them. He poked one and smiled, not fearing the trial anymore. He became bolstered by the decidedly unreactive ball, so he gave it a sound punch. There was a popping noise and suddenly a fanged snake's head burst from the ball.

"Holy shit!" Sanji cursed, kicking the ball away. "Usopp! Don't play with these things!"

"I didn't know there were snakes in these things!" Usopp said defensively. Sanji scowled as he wound up to kick another orb that he assumed to be full of snakes like the last. To his dismay though, the orb exploded on impact, singeing all three occupants of the gondola.

"Now you know why the survival rate is so low!?" cackled the voice again. This time, a rather rotund man appeared floating on one of the orbs, his face plastered with a cocky grin. "My name is Satori and I am one of the four priests of Eneru-kami-sama, ruler of Skypiea! This is my trial: _Trial of Orb!_" He let out another laugh and grinned at the pirates. "Prepare for your deaths."

"That would have to be an impossible thing for us to accept, you rounded git," Gormal scoffed. The priest cocked his head in amusement and smiled.

"Oh, really?" he asked. "Why would that be?"

"I still have to rescue Nami-swan and Robin-chwan!" Sanji announced proudly. "This is not only a trial of exploding floating dumplings, but also a trial of LOVE WORTHY OF THE BEAUTIES THAT AWAIT ME!"

"Cool it Romeo," Usopp sighed, hitting Sanji on the shoulder.

"Ha Ha-ha! You three sure are funny!" Satori grinned. "Too bad that now, you have to die."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

OMFG Kill Gormal Already!: I know at least one of you were thinking it. I can sense it. -points at computer screen-

Satori: Originally in the manga, it is Sanji, Usopp and Luffy who go and face Satori, but I have other plans, considering I have to plan for two extra bodies Oda-san doesn't have.

This Week's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Enlil is the Mesopotamian god of thunder, among other things. As my Euro History teacher would say (in a high-pitched voice):Yay Enlil!


	32. Pikne's Servant Falls

I am frightened. Two days and no more school. Summer shall be upon me, as well as the real world, 'cause I'm graduating. Cripes. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Dream**_-san, _**Sakura**_-chan, _**Butterfly**_-san and _**weixuan**_-san. **EXPLODING DUMPLINGS!!!!** -grins-

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _Pikne's Servant Falls_

"This is great," Zoro grumbled as he looked at the stern of the _Merry Go _and adjusted a pair of goggles on his sea-green hair. It had been a few hours since the large shrimp had scuttled them over to the high pedestal deep within Upper Yard. The entire ship had been torn to pieces by the oversized crustacean's claws and looked about twice as bad as when it had been ripped apart on Jaya. It all seemed nearly irreparable.

"Just dreadful," Maon tisked, poking his head through one of the larger holes in the ship's bottom. "We have to repair this right away."

"Are you saying that you can fix the _Merry Go_?" Luffy asked, standing a ways off. "That would be great if you could!"

"I can at least make an effort. Usopp's better than me though, since he's been fixing this wooden beauty longer. I'm no joiner either."

"Well, getting a carpenter to fix _Merry_ has to be under one of our largest priorities for once we get out of here," Robin said, hopping down from the deck. "Musician-san, I just checked in the hold and we have only three wooden boards left to fix _Merry_ with. I suggest that we go out into the woods and get some useable logs to turn into boards."

"That's a good idea," Maon said. "You, Luffy and Zoro could go and do that…"

"We're not going by ourselves, you coward," the swordsman grunted. He grabbed the back of Maon's collar and smiled sinisterly. "This is your project after all. Don't turn into Usopp on us now."

"O-Okay…?" the redheaded man smiled nervously. Zoro let go and Maon ran off to over where Robin and Luffy was. He watched as the woman took one of the vines that was attached to the mainland trees and swung over the large cloud moat to the other side, landing safely on the dirt.

"What are we going to do while you're gone!?" Chopper asked. "Are you going to leave Nami and me here!?"

"Just make sure the ship doesn't fall apart anymore," Zoro grunted, adjusting the goggles he just put on his head. He observed Maon as he prepared to swing over to Robin. Zoro took and gave Maon a hefty shove, sending the musician over the moat screaming.

"You're cruel!" the redheaded man cried as soon as he was on land.

"That's life! You better get used to it real quick!" Zoro shouted back. He grabbed a vine and swung across to his nakama standing on the shore, letting out a deep and throaty yawp the entire way.

"What was that…?" Nami asked, standing on the slanted deck of the _Merry Go_.

"I have no idea," Chopper said. They all watched as Luffy stretched his way over to the forest and the four disappeared into the trees.

"Maybe it was a call of bravery…?" Nami offered, still stunned. Chopper shrugged and they both went back into the ship's hold in order to pass the time.

**80808080808080808**

"This is INSANITY!" Sanji yelled, jumping up onto a branch in order to dodge an orb. He ducked and dodged, hurrying from one tree to the other.

"Hey, at least you can jump properly!" Usopp whined from a few trees back. He was standing behind Gormal as the deck hand shot round after round into the incoming orbs. Some exploded only to yield flowers and cute, fuzzy woodland creatures. Others spat things like acid and dangerous, not-so-fuzzy creatures. Then there were the ones that were filled with a type of gunpowder that burned to the touch. Gormal would curse whenever he shot open a harmless ball, complaining about wasting his munitions.

"Just keep moving!" Sanji shouted.

"Ho Ho-Ho!" Satori chortled. "You people sure are funny." He whizzed about on one of his cloud orbs and watched gleefully as the three pirates panicked below him. "That is the glory of my Trial. You never know what's coming at you next… or what's leaving you."

"What…?" Gormal snapped. "Stop talking in riddles you git!"

"I think I know what he's talking about!" Usopp gasped, pointing down at the river. Sanji and Gormal took a quick glance to see that the gondola that Conis had loaned them was floating away.

"Ah, shit!" Sanji cursed, dodging a confetti-filled orb. "We've got to get to the boat!"

"Not if I can help it," grinned Satori. He muttered under his breath and twice the amount of orbs as before began to go after Sanji as the chef tried to make his way to the gondola by jumping on the many tree branches. This meant, of course, that the amount of orbs attacking Gormal and Usopp was lessened considerably.

"This is our chance," Gormal whispered over his shoulder to Usopp. "We're going to attack the bastard from behind. I'm running low on bullets and if we don't move now, we might never get the chance again."

"…but…"

"Come on Usopp. You keep on bragging about being so high and mighty. Only fops brag without anything to back them up."

"I guess so," the sniper said shakily.

"One…" Gormal said between pistol shots.

Satori cackled as an orb exploded on Sanji's back, searing his shirt and the skin underneath.

"Two…"

A myriad of orbs came rushing in on the chef…

"Go!" Gormal shouted. He placed his pistol into his waist sash and began sprinting down the tree branch, Usopp close behind him. They jumped up the trees as Sanji did, except with less grace and made their way up to Satori. Gormal drew his pistol and aimed carefully for the back of the priest's head.

The deck hand fired… and Satori dodged.

"Wha…?" the startled Gormal gasped. Satori grinned as he turned around and held out his flat palm.

"You have no idea what little _impact _you have…" he laughed. With that, there was the sound of an explosion and Gormal flew back into Usopp and then into a tree trunk.

"Ah! Piss!" he cursed. "He's got one of those dial things!"

"That's good to know," Usopp groaned as he shoved Gormal off of him. "What is that, the second time you've been hit by one of those things?"

"…and I don't expect there to be a third," Gormal growled, shoving his pistol back into his sash for safe-keeping. He looked down at Sanji, seeing that the distraction he had served had given the chef enough time to begin moving again.

_There seems to be a flaw with this rounded arse's gameplan_, he thought. _He can only seem to keep his attacks on only those in his sights. He seemed to be able to sense me coming from behind, but that can be dealt with easily._ Gormal paused for a moment and took a deep breath._ I hope this works…_

With that, Gormal let natural instinct take over and he began to rush between the orbs that Satori had his back turned to. Usopp ran about in a panic, trying to make sure he was not hit himself.

"Waugh!" the sniper cried out. He ended up running towards Sanji and his screaming filled Satori's ears.

"Quit that!" the priest demanded loudly. He accidentally allowed himself to become too occupied with yelling at Usopp when suddenly a pair of strong hands grabbed his wrists and wrenched them behind his back, keeping the palms towards the priest's body.

"There you go," Gormal chuckled in the priest's ear. Satori began to let out a rude rebuttal when the deck-hand took his free arm and placed the priest into a headlock, forcing his vision upwards.

"You… damn… Shandian…" Satori snarled.

"Don't mention it," Gormal smiled. He watched as Sanji took the chance to make his move and as the orbs flew about without any real direction, the chef bounded up and landed on a branch quite close to the restrained priest. With a grin, Sanji flipped onto his hands and spun his foot so that it drove hard into Satori's side. Gormal kept the priest in his grip and listened intently as the vertebrae in Satori's neck snapped at the velocity of Sanji's attack. He let go and allowed the defeated man to fall into the river below.

"Well, that was fun," Sanji joked dryly, drawing the cigarette packet from his pants pocket. He lit up and then he and Gormal made their way for the gondola, already being manned by Usopp.

"That was great you guys!" Usopp said as Sanji and Gormal settled themselves into the craft.

"This better damn well be worth it," Gormal groaned as the boat reached the edge of the forest and close to a gate. The three men paused as they waited for what was on the other side.

It was another forest.

"So, where in the hell is the _Merry_ supposed to be!?" Sanji snarled. "There's girls to save! Where's Robin-chwan and Nami-swan!?"

"Cool it Sanji," Usopp sighed. The sniper sighed as Gormal and Sanji then began an argument over the importance of the girls' safety and their capabilities to care for themselves. Apparently, Gormal's only experience with women and dangerous situations were with Yume, his cousin and aunt, so the fact that women did not really need him to be a knight in shining armor seemed to elude Sanji's brain receptors.

"Inconsiderate," the chef snarled. The deck hand glared and gave his own thought-out reply.

"Brain-dead."

"Disrespectful."

"Pervert."

"Ass-hole."

"Sodding git."

"Hey you guys! I see the _Merry_!" Usopp interrupted, pointing beyond the gondola at a large altar in the near distance. Sure enough, the _Merry Go_ was sitting atop it in shambles.

"Nami-swan! Robin-chwan! I'm here to save you!" the blond cooed as they grounded the gondola. The pirates climbed the long staircase up to their ship and looked around to see that there was no one in sight.

"Oh, nice, they're not here," Gormal scoffed. He looked over at the vines that were dangling from nearby trees and sighed. "They must have gone ashore to look for us."

"So there's no one here for me to rescue…?" Sanji cried. He began to wallow in self-pity, only to be tackled from behind and thrown to the ground.

"SANJI!" Chopper squealed. "I'm so glad to see you! You don't know how worried I've been!"

"Oh, I'm glad to see you too Chopper," Sanji replied, his voice deadpan.

"Yeah, I've been worried about being attacked since Luffy and the others left," said Nami's voice. Sanji immediately perked up and went heart-eyed for the ginger-haired navigator, who in return only gave him an uneasy smile and a small step away.

"Luffy left?" Gormal asked, trying to ignore Sanji.

"Yeah," Chopper replied. "Him, Zoro, Maon and Robin left to find some wood to repair the _Merry_! The really big shrimp really clawed it up!"

"I can tell that," Usopp said as he inspected the side of the ship. "This will take some serious repair work. At least a whole day's worth."

"The bad part, though, is that nightfall's coming," Nami mentioned, pointing towards the setting sun. "We'd have to wait until sunrise, and for the others to get back with the wood."

"Then I guess all we can do right now is wait," Gormal said. "I just hope everyone's alright out there."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Nami said assuringly. "Now, let's get ourselves some dinner."

"Hai Nami-swan!" Sanji agreed, skipping off towards the galley.

**80808080808080808**

_This is just great, you know that Zoro?_

"Come on, this is not my fault!" the swordsman snapped back at himself. He sneered as he stepped in something soft and squishy on the ground. "I blame the others!"

_The others are not responsible for you getting us lost!_ Kuina spat. _I let you take complete control for two hours and this is what happens! No Robin! No Luffy! No Maon! No Merry! We're completely lost!_

"Come on, it's not that bad," Zoro said. "I mean, at least it's quiet here, right?"

_Marimo-for-brains_.

"Hey! No fair!"

_Is too fair_.

"This sucks. Not only do I have a woman stuck in my brain for the rest of my life, but she happens to nag me whenever I do something wrong!"

_Hey, that's your fault for being such an idiot._

"I can't wait until I find one of the others again."

_So that we aren't lost anymore?_ Kuina asked hopefully.

"No, so that I have someone who's real to talk to," Zoro replied icily. He scowled and then out of nowhere, punched himself in the stomach, courtesy of Kuina. The swordsman cursed a bit more and wondered where exactly everyone else had wandered off to.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Zoro's Yawp: youtube at one point had one of the best clips ever with Zoro giving off a Tarzan call while swinging over from the _Merry _to shore. It was great. Nami's response in here is the exact same as in the anime. Plus I love the word "yawp". It makes me smile. Go and see if it's still on there. I hope so.

Satori's Defeat: In the manga version, it was the combined efforts of Luffy and a Sanji Kick-to-the-Cranium that did in Satori. Dunno if he died or not. I don't really care.

Zoro's Being Lost: To be honest, in the manga, Zoro, Nami and Robin go look around, but stay together and discover the island's big secret. This is part of my jerking around with the canon storyline stint.

This Chapter's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Pikne is the Estonian god of thunder. It's not all that surprising to me that so many European countries had their own religion sects way back when, since every village was basically, um, in the middle of nowhere. Ideas tended to stay put.


	33. Perun's Ordeal

Yeah. So I've got this new project I'm working on. It's called "_Inherited Will, Destiny of the Age_". If you haven't seen it yet, it's gonna offset "_Illicit Memories_" somewhat since my narration style is a bit different. Then again, sometimes I read though some of what I've written in _IM _and think that a fifth grader with a slight British accent wrote some of this stuff. Whatever. _IWDotA _promises to be more mature though. It's rated M for mature. You all can still read _IM _though. I just enjoy advertizing my stories is all. -grins- I do not own _One Piece_ Reviewer thanks go out to _**weixuan**_-san, _**Dream**_-san, _**Sakura**_-chan and _**Butterfly**_-san.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _Perun's Ordeal_

The first morning rays of twilight washed over the five pirates as they lay asleep on the ground next to a smoldering fire. Those in the Mugiwara Kaizokudan that had been left, or found, the _Merry _had all brought the materials for a camp-out on shore and had proceeded to spend the night on the dirt isle beyond the milky cloud moat. Only one stayed awake as he poked at the embers with a stick, the last remnants of their camp-out burning themselves out.

"The others haven't come back yet," Usopp sighed, tossing his prodding stick into the fire. He sighed and looked over at the crippled _Merry_ as it sat on the stone altar. The sniper closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the early morning air. Fog hung thick in the air, obstructing normal vision so that objects even twenty feet away were barely visible. The eerie sounds of animals came from everywhere, sending chills all up and down the sniper's back.

Slightly bolstered by his stick catching on fire, Usopp decided that he was going to try to find a few more sticks to be used as firewood until the rest of the crew woke up. Carefully, he walked down to the craggy shoreline and scoured the area for twigs.

_Tmp. Tmp. Tmp._

"Huh?" Usopp muttered, looking up at the sound of the noise. It was far-off and soft, but seemed to be similar to a hammer pounding.

_Tmp. Tmp. Tmp._

"Where is that coming from?" The sniper looked around, trying to find the source of the noise. It failed to sound menacing in the slightest, so he was quite curious as to what it was exactly. He squinted over towards where he could tell the _Merry_ was still sitting on the altar. Usopp gasped when he spotted someone actually on the deck.

The figure was rather short, appearing almost as it could have been a ten-year-old boy. Usopp could just barely make out a macintosh, oversize boots, a knit skullcap and wide grin. It took all that the teen on the shore could muster to not scream holy terror and wake up the others. He stumbled backwards, tripping over an unearthed tree root and falling into Gormal, who woke with a start.

"What in Roger's name!?" the deck hand grunted as he jolted awake. He flailed about until he smacked something in the back of a curly-haired head and groaned in vexation.

"Usopp, get off of me."

"...but... but... Gormal! I saw something on the _Merry! _No, not something, but _**someone**_!" Usopp protested, sitting on Gormal's legs so that he would listen.

"Nonsense," Gormal huffed, shoving the sniper off of his lower half. He stomped over to the edge of the escarpment and looked over at the ship. As soon as he saw the _Merry_, he groaned out of complete irritation. "Look, you even fixed it so that we'd think someone was there. Ruddy bastard..."

"I saw someone there!" Usopp said clearly, pointing at the _Merry_. Gormal scoffed and began to walk back to where he was sleeping.

"Right on then. You expect me to believe the new King of the Liars?" he groaned, going back to his patch of grass and dirt to hopefully recover some shut-eye. Usopp was then left alone again, staring out at the repaired ship, completely in ruin and wondering who the mysterious figure was.

**80808080808080808**

Meanwhile, the missing four members of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan were in a rather tough spot. It had only been an hour after they originally charged out into the woods before they were separated by means of not paying attention and choosing to discover shortcuts. None of them had brought along food and only Robin had been thoughtful enough to bring a pack with a few things for a camp-out. Night had come and gone, but all four members still remained separated. It was only due to the pecking of a South Bird on his forehead did a certain green-haired swordsman ever decide to wake up that chilled morning.

"Gah! Stupid bird!" he yelled, drawing a sword and trying to slash at the animal. The bird flew away before Zoro could slice it to shreds, further irritating the swordsman who was already testy due to the morning iciness of the air.

_Oh, shut up, will you?_ whined Kuina as Zoro began walking off, grumbling to himself. _I'm trying to still sleep._

"I'm up. You should be too."

_Bullshit_.

"Well, at least after all these years, you still sound like the Kuina I knew."

_Damn straight._

"Hey, do you remember which of these berries on the tree branches are poisonous?"

_Ano… all of them._

"All of them!?" Zoro was in shock, for he could have sworn that at least _some_ of the berries that were growing wild on the tree branches and vines that were all around him were edible, no matter what.

_I can't remember_, Kuina answered. _If you can't remember, it's best not to go with anything at all._

"Thanks," Zoro said, staring longingly at the berries as he walked right past them. "You just better have some sort of good alternative for our lunch."

_I'll let you know when I come up with something._

"Thanks."

**80808080808080808**

Beyond the knowledge of any of the Blue Seas pirates, there was a meeting being held. Three men were gathered around a fourth that was sitting on a large and ornate throne.

"This worries me," said the one accompanied by a large bird and a wicked spear. "Satori was defeated yesterday by three mere citizens of the Blue Seas. They must be very powerful if they were able to kill one of us priests."

"Satori did not die in battle, nor of his wounds," mentioned the bald man with dark sunglasses. "He threw himself into the river after we recovered him. There is a difference. I guess he was too ashamed to properly face us after a defeat like the one he took yesterday. It was complete carelessness that did him in. He got too caught up in the judgment of one sinner at a time. It was very unlike him."

"It is a shame," said the final man sitting around the enthroned one. His jaw dropped and he rolled his eyes into the back of his head and grimaced. "We shall avenge our fallen comrade, shall we not?"

"Calm yourselves," the man on the throne laughed, smiling at the priests. He was pale-skinned and very easy about himself, leaving an air of sickeningly carefree authority to hang heavy on the conversation. "I have a grand solution to this problem."

"You do?" asked the dark-shade-wearing priest.

"Of course," said the one on the throne with a malicious grin, twirling one of his elongated earlobes out of boredom. He held up his other hand and spread his fingers apart, chuckling slightly. "This is the number of fighters that will be left after three hours."

"Fighters?" questioned the priest with the large bird. "What do you mean by that?"

"We're taking the Blue Sea pirates, mixing in members of the militia, taking into account the fact that we have some of those savage Shandians attempting to invade again and then the three of you. Eighty… one… yes, eighty one fighters to start. Five left after three hours' time." The man did the math on his fingers to make sure his numbers were correct. When he determined that they were, he snapped his fingers and called out a name. "Yama."

"Hai, Kami-sama?" asked a man who seemed to appear out of nothingness, his body resembling that of a squished, rounded and very ugly triangle.

"Prepare the militia for war. The Shandians are attacking again."

"Hai, Kami-sama!" Yama answered, giving a mighty salute and scuttling off. The three priests stood as they watched him disappear to fetch members of "God's Militia".

"That was a good idea," said the priest with the bird. "That blasted militia has just recently outlived their purpose. Might as well send them off _honorably_."

"Exactly," snickered the god. "Alright then. Off with you three, now."

"Hai, Eneru-kami-sama!" said the priests through their reverent salute. They departed quickly afterwards, leaving Eneru alone to look at his hand, fingers still outstretched and grin placid.

"Three hours… five fighters…"

**80808080808080808**

"I wonder where everyone else is," Maon asked himself out loud, knowing that he was the only one that would ever hear the remark. He walked through the forest, helplessly lost. It was not that he failed to locate the direction of North nor that he could not find his way through the thick forest, but the very fact that he had been running blindly from an extremely large South Bird for an amount of time the day before and being completely separated for Luffy, Robin and Zoro had befuddled his senses. There was no use for him to try to find his way out unless he had someone else there with him; it just was not done otherwise.

_Minna… where are you?_ he whined internally. The redheaded man moaned softly as a memory surge up into his consciousness. _Annette-san, I miss you not being around in times like this. You always knew what to do..._ Maon sighed as he leaned up against a tree and listened to his stomach's grumbling protests. Trying to take his mind off of the hunger, the musician closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. Woodland. Ancient woodland.

Suddenly, breaking the relative serenity of the forest, came the resounding tone of an explosion.

_What was that?! _Maon panicked, pushing himself away from the tree trunk and jerking his head to look around. He reached into his bag and quickly pulled out a couple of corked vials with one hand, keeping them separated by his fingers, and procuring a small pistol and slightly larger vial with the other. He stood there and waited in tense anticipation, preparing for an impending fight.

Then, he could hear a rustling of the brush and the sound of unfamiliar and hostile human voices. He uncorked the larger vial with his teeth and downed the contents. He then threw one of the unopened vials high into the air and shattered it open with a bullet.

_Perfect_, Maon thought as he heard the din come within a few meters of him and stopped. A thick purple haze had filled the air and engulfed both the pirate and the warrior party. Due to the thin air, the mist covered a much larger area than it normally did back down on the Blue Sea, making the effect much stronger than it was normally. The redheaded man could hear the sound of the others trapped in the cloud hacking and coughing whilst he stayed safely breathing due to the previous antidote. Furrowing his brows, Maon gulped and rushed forward and began smashing some of the remaining vials about him, allowing the liquids inside to eat away at earth, wood and flesh and secrete even more vile gas.

"We're being attacked!" roared a voice through a hoarse cough. Maon's ears picked up, for it was the same voice that had come from behind the mask of the mysterious man that had attacked the _Merry _on the White Sea and nearly killed Gormal. Quickly calculating where the voice had come from, Maon threw another vial at the ground nearby and smiled as he heard the sound of the glass shattering. He was about to run for it when a strong pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and another voice from farther away spoke.

"Wind Dial," said the stern feminine voice. Suddenly, the purple smoke was all blown away, Maon clearly able to see that there was a large and burly man twice his size restraining him.

"So, this is the trouble-maker?" snarled the voice from before. Maon was forcibly turned around to face a man with dark skin similar to Gormal's dressed in a warrior kilt made of animal hide and possessing a rather intimidating reddish-black mohawk hairstyle and an oversized gun slung over his shoulder. He looked over Maon and scoffed. "I don't have time for this." He took a staff from one of his fellow warriors in his hands and spun it about, landing the end right on the redhead's left shoulder. With impact, the staff erupted into flame and snapped Maon's shoulder blade as if it were a thin twig. The burly warrior let go of Maon and allowed him to collapse onto the vine-laden earth below them. The musician's forehead hit one of the protruding roots from a nearby tree, rendering him unconscious.

"There, we'll leave him for the scavengers," said the woman, stepping up to stand next to the warrior now boasting the Dial staff. She glared at Maon before taking off again, the troupe ready to make up for the time lost and find Eneru.

**80808080808080808**

Nami groaned as she looked over the side of the _Merry _and gazed out at the dark forest. Everything was eerily silent. She knew that part of it was the lack of Luffy's presence, but there was a presence to be felt, which unnerved her to the extreme.

"Stop that," said Usopp, breaking the navigator out of her trance. Nami looked around to see the sniper giving her a raised eyebrow, clearly disapproving of her aimless reverie. "You look to be almost at peace. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Nami replied. "It's just that the forest is way too silent. Something's going to happen very soon. I can feel it."

"Something's going to happen to the guys in the woods?"

"No, I feel like all of us need to watch our backs."

"Well, that's nice and specific," Gormal sighed, climbing down the rigging from the crow's nest and dropping in on the conversation. "Don't worry too much now. I feel that there's something not right too, but for some reason, there's a small notion on my brain that says it's a well-manageable trifle that can easily be handled. '_Trifle_' really isn't the right word for it, but it is the only one I can think of at the moment."

"I don't know…" the navigator sighed. "Luffy and the others may be strong on the sea, but the sky is a completely different story." She stared over the side of the ship again and sighed. It stayed nervously silent for a few moments before Sanji came barging out of the galley, trying to keep his balance on the uneven deck.

"Lunch's ready!" he announced. The chef skipped over to Nami and smiled lovingly. "Your food will get cold if you stand out here talking to these idiots all afternoon. Besides, Chopper helped me and I don't think you want to hurt the kid's feelings..."

"I'm not hungry," Nami said softly, walking away from the men and going up the nearby stairs to the potted mikan. Sanji's soul was crushed in an instant. Gormal and Usopp sighed and rolled their eyes at the chef.

"We'll still eat," Gormal said, rubbing his temples as he attempted to avoid the onset of a headache. Sanji looked at his two crewmates and moaned.

"Fine," he said. "Let's go eat." The three were almost at the galley door when there was the sound of a bird squawking. The men turned around to see a man fly towards the _Merry _on a giant bird, coming to hover right above the deck. He brandished a lance and once the bird was opened its massive beak, it allowed a shrill squawk erupt from its mouth.

"So here you are," the man said, frowning slightly. "Here I am, thinking I was going to actually going to have a battle on my hands. Just two Blue Sea rats and a Shandian dog." He glared at the three men, failing to notice Nami hiding behind a mikan plant and Chopper cowering just inside the galley door.

"Who are you calling a rat!?" Sanji snarled, tensing up for a fight. The strange man just laughed.

"Why, the sinners I'm going to kill. My name is Shura and I am the Priest of the Trial of String. Be cleansed upon your deaths."

...and with that, he charged...

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Mysterious Figure on the _Merry_: If you don't know yet, it will be explained later. Remember, I'm basically paraphrasing most of the story plot here.

The Two (?) Parties: According to my handy dandy manga spoilers, the whole gang's supposed to be together for the night, then split up in the morning. Gan Fall's supposed to be somewhere in there too. I was writing this chapter in class and suddenly let loose a loud and colorful chain of expletives, since I almost forgot to write him in. Ah, well, too late. At least everyone knew what I was doing.

Maon: He can take care of himself in battle! Well... sort of. Stupid Wind Dial. His fighting style will be important later.

Shura: Yeah. Please don't go ballistic on me. You know I'm mucking up the story for a reason.

This Chapter's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Perun is the Slavic god of thunder/lightening. I'm such a nerd.


	34. Aji Suki Taka Hiko Ne

I am getting so distracted. Just trust me. This thing isn't even slightly self-beta-ed. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Sakura**_-chan, _**weixuan**_-san and _**Butterfly**_-san.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _Aji-Suki-Taka-Hiko-Ne_

"This place feels so familiar," Robin said quietly to herself. She placed her hand on a tree trunk and closed her eyes and listened to the surrounding forest. The sounds and dank odor definitely brought back memories, but the historian could not quite place where the memories came from. After traveling all over the world, every other island seemed the same to the woman. Robin sighed and began trudging along. She might as well get some exploration in while the others were lost. The eerie stillness of the woods was enough to make a grown man shiver in fright, yet she pressed on.

Suddenly, Robin looked up at the sound of a bird. Her gaze jerked in the direction of a South Bird, the creature cawing into the thick serenity like a knife through soft butter. Robin stared at the bird and wondered. Immediately, her memory clicked, widening her eyes and bringing a single word from her lips.

"Jaya."

**80808080808080808**

Luffy sauntered along between the trees casually, humming a tune to himself. He had no idea as to where he was going, but it really did not matter. There were some bushes a while back with berries, so he had already eaten in order to tide his stomach over until Sanji came to get him.

"I wonder where the guys went off to…" he said aloud, not caring that there was no one to hear him. He kept on walking until a bolt of tension surged through the air, halting the rubber teen in his tracks.

Looking about, Luffy tried to examine his surroundings. He was in an area that could have been best described as a glen, being surrounded by brush and trees. A few leaves rustled and Luffy tensed for a fight.

Then, out of the low brush, jumped out five soldiers that seemed intent on killing Luffy. The straw-hatted captain jumped back and wordlessly punched each one of the soldiers until they were knocked out. Nodding out of satisfaction, Luffy began to walk out of the glen, until the brush began to rustle again.

Luffy stared. The bush quaked. Luffy stared some more. The wild hedge shifted some more, keeping Luffy frozen in place. Then, a South Bird popped up out of the brush, making the young man smile.

"Food!" he smiled, going to chase the bird. It took off and began to fly away, Luffy quickly chasing after it.

**80808080808080808**

Zoro kept quiet as he crouched behind the trunk of a tree. There were some men fighting just a short while off, the fray having occurred out of seemingly nowhere.

'_This has nothing to do with us. We should leave it be,'_ Kuina commented as they observed the fight.

_I know_, Zoro answered. _It's just that those soldiers…_

'_What about them?'_

_They seem so familiar to me._

'_Well that might be because they seem to me like they're from Angel Island.'_

_Why would Angel Islanders be here? Don't they think of this place as being sacred or some shit like that? Besides, who are those other guys?_

'_Maybe they're the Shandians.'_

_Shandians…?_

'_Do you __**ever**__ listen to anything?'_ Kuina sighed. Zoro frowned and stood up straight.

"We should go now," he said. He turned to walk away when he came face-to face with another man. The stranger towered over the swordsman with his knit cap, fur-trimmed coat and grim expression. He held a pistol in each hand, though he seemed burly enough to be able to attempt taking Zoro without the weapons and actually be formidable. The green-haired swordsman drew his swords and set the atmosphere for a fight.

"You must be one of those Blue Sea men Wiper told us about," the man grunted. He raised a pistol and cocked the ignition into place.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Zoro smirked. He crouched down into his fighting position, ready for action. The opponent let out a small chuckle and smiled.

Then, without warning, a bright flash of light filled Zoro's vision. The gun was fired and before Zoro could move, a piece of metal was lodged in his shoulder. Stumbling back, he cursed violently before regaining his vision. The warrior was still standing there, grinning broadly now.

"Do you still want to fight me?" he asked. Zoro spat and glared sharply.

"You just signed your own death warrant," he hissed, readying his swords and charging. He adverted his eyes when the pistols fired and dodged instantaneously to keep away from the bullets.

"My name is Braham," the man said curtly. "I hope you understand that I am to be the one to kill you." He shot at Zoro again, the bright light flashing brilliantly.

'_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!' _Kuina panicked as Zoro deflected the bullets. _'I told you this place felt like a bad idea!'_

_Shut up!_

'_How are we going to stop him then!? We can't see him!'_

_We will. If I can just catch him while he's reloading…_

'_I hope so…'_

**80808080808080808**

Usopp, Sanji and Gormal stood bug-eyed. The flying mount Shura was riding on had shown off by sending a jet of fire from its mouth. The three pirates were frozen in a mixture of fear, dread and surprise.

"Oh, piss," Gormal cursed. He shifted slightly in his place, his hand slowly stretching towards the pistol in his sash. "Of all the times to be without the rest of the crew…"

"Usopp," Sanji hissed through clenched teeth. He kept his eyes on Shura, but waited for the sniper's reply.

"Yeah…?"

"I need you to go and get Nami-swan as soon as me and the asshole over there distract this guy. Get her into the ship with Chopper. Stay there."

"B-B-But why me?"

"Because you can run, you little chicken-shit," the chef replied. Usopp gulped for a response and squeaked out in agreement.

"Good," Gormal said, also examining Shura's every move. His hand finally was grasping his gun and he drew the weapon quickly, firing without warning. Sanji jumped up and began darting around on the wiry rigging. The fire-breathing bird faltered, not sure about whether to pursue the blond in the ropes, the thin teen that was clearly running for cover in the mikan plants or the man on the ground who kept on shooting small bits of lead up at them. Shura clicked his tongue in code and snapped the mount's reins, directing him to fly around the ship. The large bird swooped down and around, narrowly missing Sanji and Gormal on several occasions. It completely ignored Usopp, who successfully stayed hidden with Nami behind the potted plants on the upper deck.

"So the dog and one of the rats are deciding to fight back," Shura sneered. He watched as Gormal and Sanji shuffled back and forth around the ship, trying to serve as distractions and hopefully discover a flaw in the priest's plan. Out of the corner of his eye, Shura spotted Usopp and Nami scampering out of the mikan grove. They ran as fast as they could towards the galley door, but ended up stopping in mid run.

"Nami! Usopp! _**Move**_!" Gormal boomed, rushing over towards the two. He was almost to the spot where he could easily defend them, but his efforts were halted as an invisible force entangled him, rendering him immobile.

"What in the name of Davy Jones!?" he cursed, struggling against the invisible force.

"That is the beauty of my trial," Shura grinned maliciously. "The Trial of String is very special. A three percent survival rate is quite amusing for what you have to go through. After releasing all that thin cloud string, I am surprised that you were able to move at all, you filthy dog."

"So that's what he's been doing!" Sanji growled. "You've been toying with us!"

"Precisely."

"Bastard!" The chef let out a desperate roar and charged at Shura, running long the length of the wooden mast rigging. Once he was about halfway to this target, Sanji's leg jerked firmly into place and propelled him flat on his face. He looked back to see his leg bound, the fine wire that restricted the movement just barely catching a glint of the sun's rays. The chef grunted in frustration, feebly attempting to free his leg. His head spun when he heard the throaty cackle of Shura resonating throughout the air. Sanji's eyes went wide as he saw the priest advance on his flying mount, the tip of his lance alight with licking flame.

Suddenly, there was the shill screech of a bird and before Sanji could realize what had happened, the flame that had filled his vision disappeared. He saw Pierre hovering in front of him, flapping his wings idly. Gan Fall sat firmly in the stirrups, his own lance pierced through the bodies of Shura and the fire-breathing bird. The old knight slid the corpses off of his weapon and once they were safely in the cloud-lake, he turned back towards Sanji and took a knife from his belt.

"Hold still," he said as he cut Sanji free of the finely thin strings binding him in place. Once free, Sanji hopped down onto the deck and carefully went towards the other three pirates.

"Okay, get us out of here," Gormal said, craning his neck to see that it was Sanji who was coming up to him from behind. Sanji just held out his hand and felt around until he caught some string. He grasped onto the clump and yanked back hard, sending both Usopp and Gormal into the air and miraculously freeing Nami.

"Ah! Let us down Sanji!" Usopp screamed, clenching his eyes shut. He could hear the door to the galley open and Chopper burst out in tears, caterwauling about wanting to have been able to help, but was stuck inside the hold of the ship.

"Not quite yet," Sanji grinned, drawing the strings more taut and then relaxing them again. He played with the sniper and deck hand as they floated in mid-air, their limbs jerking around.

"Stop it you ruddy git," Gormal spat. He glared at Sanji, who in return just smiled broadly. Negotiations were not going to go easily this time.

**80808080808080808**

"Waugh! That was so scary!" Chopper sniffled. A few hours had passed since the attack by the now-late priest and mid-afternoon was almost upon the pirates. They were all sitting in a circle on the deck, talking with Gan Fall.

"So what you're saying is that you are actually the rightful ruler of this place?" Nami asked the knight suspiciously. "The title of 'god' is only a title and Eneru took your position to heart?"

"Yes," the old man sighed. "It pains my soul to see such injustices dealt to my people and the hard work I had done to unify the Shandians and the Angel Islanders be placed on Drifting Cloud. That's why I still protect the White Seas around here, so that I may help along anyone who wishes to escape this tyrannous ruler."

"It sounds to be a fairly noble cause," Usopp said. The then thought for a moment and spoke up again. "Why can't you take the title of 'god' back?"

"…because Eneru took control of my militia and police force," Gan Fall sighed. "I realize that my former followers are only complying with Eneru's orders to live and protect their families, but without their support, I can only sit on the side and watch."

"Then why did you help out just a while back?" Sanji inquired. "That guy was powerful. If you could defeat him, you should be more than a match for his boss."

"You would think that," Gan Fall sighed. "Eneru is more powerful than anyone on this island. Shura was small fry. The only reason I was able to kill him so easily was because he cannot use mantra. He never saw me coming."

"Mantra?" the pirates asked in unison. The Sky Knight sighed and continued.

"Mantra is the ability to hear the life forces of others," he explained. "Sometimes if a mantra user has not developed the ability, they could easily become distracted and their powers weaken as a result. The chance of facing someone like that in battle is slim, however, since most people have their entire lives to develop the mantra before heading off into battle."

"Well, the odds are not as slim as you would think," Gormal said gruffly. He cracked his knuckles with a sour face. "That orb guy was a piece of cake once we restrained him."

"You defeated Satori of the Orb?" Gan Fall asked, shock ringing in his voice.

"Sure did," Sanji said. "The shit-traitor and I got him."

"What about me?" Usopp asked, assuming Sanji had been referring to Gormal as the traitor.

"You just stood back and watched," Sanji snarled.

"No, _he stood back and screamed _is more the decent phraseology for this incident," Gormal corrected.

"Thanks a lot," Usopp muttered, folding his arms and purposely looking cross. Gan Fall scoffed and shook his head.

"I hope you all realize the gravity of the matter," he scowled.

"I would listen to the Old Man if I were you," laughed a voice. Gan Fall gasped at the sound of a newcomer, while the human, male pirates all jumped to their feet. Chopper and Nami grabbed onto one another, just as startled as the others.

"Who's there!?" Gormal demanded. Sanji stayed quiet and Usopp whimpered as his knees knocked together uncontrollably. Gan Fall bolted to his feet and spoke in a quiet, stunned voice.

"It is Eneru."

"You remembered me! I'm touched!" the voice laughed again. There was a thunderclap and a person materialized right behind the old knight. He was tall and wore extremely large pants. His hair was white, skin was pale and in place of a shirt, a circle of four drums sprout from his back, each one with a series of three tomoe painted on them.

"You fiend!" Gan Fall roared upon the sight of Eneru. The knight picked up his lance and charged at the newcomer.

"Let's help," Sanji snapped at Usopp and Gormal.

"Why?" asked the sniper.

"...because I said so!" Sanji answered, grasping Usopp by the wrist and beginning to run to Gan Fall's aid. Usopp was nearly about to protest when Eneru snapped his fingers, sending a bolt of lighting through the sky. Said lighting illuminated the deck of the _Merry Go_, causing the sound of a thousand explosions to rock the ears of the pirates and pausing everyone's movement.

"Gan Fall, this island is beyond your hope. Go home," Eneru said. Gan Fall snarled and readied himself to charge again, only to find out that Eneru was no longer there. The only noise audible was Chopper's wailing.

"Sanji! Usopp!" the young reindeer cried in panic. Gan Fall turned around to see that Gormal had been struck speechless and Nami was stuck inside of a silent scream. Chopper ran around in disarray, for the bolt of lighting had hit Sanji and Usopp, their smoking, unconscious bodies lying motionlessly on the deck.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Robin's Discovery: This was supposed to be discovered when out with Nami and Zoro, but I just gave it to her as an epiphany-type deal. Hope that was all right.

Zoro v Barham: I knew from the beginning I'd have to kill a very awesome fight. -sighs- They're such a good match-up in battle. Also, I hope everyone is comfortable with the spelling of Barham's name. Several different sources give several different sources after all.

Death O' Shura: He's supposed to go by Impact Dial in the woods, but this works too. -grin- Makes Gan Fall a little more kick-ass, simply because I shirk him later on.

Eneru: One of my favorite One Piece villains, right up there with Jango and a certain giraffe-man. I love these guys! Absalom is starting to get high up there on my favorites list too, but that's a whole other story entirely.

This Chapter's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Aji-Suki-Taka-Hiko-Ne is _another _god of thunder in Shinto. If this is wrong, blame wikipedia from a few months ago when I began the naming process.


	35. Set in Set's Will

So, I think this is the new chapter. I don't know. I've got a bad headache, so please forgive my lack of beta. Blah. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Sakura**_-chan and _**Butterfly**_-san.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _Set in Set's Will_

"Naa..." Luffy moaned, leaning up against a large tree trunk. He had lost the South Bird's trail and was now wandering aimlessly. It had been hours since sunrise. The young captain was unsure of the time as he shaded his eyes from the overhead sun peeking through the treetops.

"I wonder where everyone is..." he whined. "I haven't seen anyone since yesterday."

Then, as if by some form of clairvoyance, Luffy could sense a group of people rushing towards him. Happily, he rushed over towards the brush, but was surprised when the mohawk-sporting man who had encountered Maon barreled into him. Both men went tumbling for a few feet before landing in a jumbled mess of limbs. The others in the man's party kept on going, leaving the two to sort out the problem themselves.

"You aren't in my crew..." Luffy observed as the other man grumbled to his feet. The teen shifted uncomfortably as he discovered that the other man's weapon, a large bazooka, was actually lying underneath him. Luffy was just about to get up off the weapon when the man grabbed his shoulder and literally threw him aside.

"Out of my way," he snarled. Luffy moaned slightly as he rubbed the side of his head that slammed into a tree.

"Hey, you jerk!" the boy-captain barked. "I was getting off the damn weapon!"

"I have no time for little shits that want to get in the way," the warrior snarled back. "I already had to take care of one of you runts today. I don't need this aggravation."

"What…?" Luffy asked. He then perked up. "You met one of my nakama?"

"If you mean that idiot with red hair, yeah," the warrior scoffed, rolling his eyes as he slung the bazooka over his shoulder. "If you hurry up, you might be able to get his body before the South Birds scavenge it."

"…Maon…?" Luffy gasped. He turned his head in the direction the warrior came from and stared with wide eyes. He then jerked his head back as a revving sound filled his ears and was just able to catch the sight of the bazooka-wielding man disappearing into the nearby brush.

"Oh, no you don't…"

**80808080808080808**

'_To the left!_'

Zoro swung his sword blindly, just barely nicking the jacket of his opponent. Braham was fast, but Zoro knew he was faster. The largest obstacle he had when getting to that point, though, was the flashing pistols of his opponent. Bullets were simple enough to deflect, but when he became slightly disoriented at every single flash that caught his eyes, it was difficult to keep his footing. Besides, Kuina caterwauling inside of his brain was not too much help.

"You are quite the fighter," Braham chuckled, pausing his assault for a moment. Zoro shook his head vigorously in attempt to rid his vision of all the spots. "You know, no one's ever lasted this long before."

'_He's gloating, we have to act quickly while he's gloating!_' Kuina ordered.

_I know that!_ Zoro replied grumpily. _Just give me a second! That was a lot of gunfire._

'_Can I try something?_'

_You're kidding me, right?_

'_No, let me try something_,' Kuina demanded. Then, Zoro's head cricked sharply to the left. The vertebrae in the neck all cracked under the sudden movement, making the head's movement all the smoother.

"Are you ready to finish this duel?" Braham asked, waiting impatiently. "I do not wish to end a duel when my opponent is not ready to accept his face.

"I'm ready when you are," Zoro grinned, his expression almost wild in nature. He crouched down into a stance and tensed up his muscles for another round.

"As you wish," Braham said. He raised his gun and pointed it at the swordsman. He fired, sending another volley the green-haired man's way. He watched for an image of his opponent dead on the ground, yet saw not even the trace of a body.

"Too slow," came a voice from behind Braham's ear. The warrior spun around and gasped when he saw that the swordsman had actually positioned himself behind him. He could have sworn he heard a slight chuckle before everything went red.

"Thirty-six Pound Cannon!" Zoro bellowed, slashing his swords into the gunman. The tall man fell to the ground bleeding profusely and unconscious, though not entirely dead.

"So…" the swordsman smirked. "I outperform you, even in death. Pretty funny, eh?"

'_I hate you_.'

"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad, was it?"

'_Yes_.'

"Oh, fine," the swordsman sighed. Zoro's head snapped to the right and his shoulders shuddered. "Never do that to me again, hear me?"

'_Not like you can help it_,' Kuina scoffed. '_Besides, I defeated the guy for you_.'

"I don't even want to know," Zoro growled. He shook the blood off of the blades and sheathed them ceremoniously.

'_Wanna go find Luffy now?_'

"It's almost as if you read my mind." Zoro scowled slightly as he began to run through the woods again.

**80808080808080808**

"Oh, this is bad, this is so bad!" Chopper wailed, running around aimlessly on the deck. Nami was kneeling next to Sanji and Usopp while Gormal and Gan Fall kept their eyes trained on Eneru.

"Oh, it's bad, is it?" Eneru laughed. He smiled suavely and gave a slight chuckle. "I don't know. They might be able to live… if you keep on praying."

"Bastard!" Gormal snarled. Eneru raised his eyebrows and sneered.

"You idiot. Stop pretending your one of them and join the rest of your tribe. They're all headed towards my palace, ready to kill me."

"Wiper and his men are on the move?" Gan Fall questioned, his expression steely.

"Of course," Eneru sighed, clearly bored. "It's their 'final attack' or something like that. Bunch of idiots, the whole group of them. I have no idea as to why you wanted to make them your pets."

"You and I both know all too well what I did for the people of these islands! I only wanted to help!"

"All in vain," Eneru said. He then let another smile curl across his lips. "There's only one thing on this island that is possibly worth vying for... and that's already taken."

"What could you possibly want to rob these people of now!?" Gan Fall barked angrily. Eneru simply smiled.

"The Light of Shandora and all the gold of the city that possesses it," the false god cackled.

"What are you talking about?" Gormal snapped.

"You mean you do not even know?" Gan Fall asked. He then pondered for a moment himself and shuddered. "Then again, I only have an idea..."

"You all are such fools," Eneru chortled. "You are all so clueless it is hilarious! I would love to stay and chat some more, but it sounds as if I need to step in and participate in my own game. So many people to kill, so little time to do it all. Later." A crack of thunder filled the air and Eneru disappeared, leaving the deck frozen in their tracks.

"We have to get these guys in the ship!" Nami announced, slicing the tension with her voice. Gormal and Gan Fall looked back at Nami as she and Chopper tried to carry both Sanji and Usopp carefully into the ship's hold. Gormal sighed and scooped Usopp's body from the navigator's thin arms.

"That prick's gonna pay for this," he said assuringly. He watched as Chopper allowed his form to grow to full size in order to properly pick up Sanji. The deck hand also saw the intrigued expression that formed on Gan Fall's face as the knight witnessed Chopper's ability.

"Just hurry up and put them inside the _Merry_," Nami ordered. Gormal and Chopper obeyed silently and were able to gingerly place their incapacitated nakama on some soft mats Chopper laid out inside of the galley.

"Thanks," Chopper sighed, rushing over to his medicine cabinet. "I think I can take it from here."

"Welcome," Gormal said, looking down at the two burned men. He looked over at Nami, who seemed quite shocked, for lack of a better word. Both did not move until they heard Gan Fall's voice shout with a hint of what seemed like dread.

"Hey! Over here!" the old knight yelled. Curious, Nami and Gormal left Chopper to his business and walked outside. Once there, they found that Gan Fall was helping Conis, Pagaya and a small girl whom none of them had ever seen before up onto the ship.

"Conis-chan!" Gormal smiled, rather taken aback. "What are you doing here?" He rushed over to the three newcomers jovially.

"I felt so bad about this whole thing, so my father and I agreed that we would come and help you," the young woman said, relief in her voice.

"…and who is this?" Nami asked, bending over the small girl and smiling jovially. The girl just scowled and held up a stick with a dial attached to the end.

"Stand back, Blue Seas creature!" she hissed. "I am Aisa, Warrior of the Shandian Tribe! I have a Burn Staff and I am not afraid to use it!" Nami just raised her eyebrow dully, not even reacting.

"Ah, can it you little nipper," Gormal sighed, grabbing Aisa by the nape of her dress and holding her up unceremoniously in order to stare her straight in the eyes. "What are you doing here anyways?"

"My Dial Craft shorted out, if you really want to know," the girl replied grumpily. "What are you doing here with Blue Sea people and the old knight guy?!" She tried to punch Gormal in the face, but his reach was significantly longer than hers and all she was able to hit was air.

"All three of you should not have come here," Gan Fall scolded. "There is trouble brewing in the forest. You have to get back to Angel Island at once or else you are most likely going to die here."

"I am a brave Shandian warrior!" Aisa retorted, having no patience for Gan Fall. "I laugh at your petty threats!"

"I apologize sir," Pagaya said with a bow, "but my daughter and I are quite resolute in our decision. These people showed us no harm during their short stay within my household. It feels only right that we assist them in this time."

"I still do not suggest that you stay here!" Gan Fall pleaded. "It is dangerous. We have already been attacked by the priest Shura and Eneru himself! You must leave before it is too late and you get caught up in the fighting!"

"_Too late…!_"

"…_for that…!_"

Everyone on deck looked upwards and gasped. Standing on the mast precariously were two rounded figures, identical in appearance. They were laughing heartily, sending chills down the spines of all others there with their falsetto voices.

"Hey! I thought we offed you!" Gormal snapped. He dropped Aisa roughly and pointed upwards at the two standing on the rigging. "How'd there get to be two of you now!?"

"_You must be the one…_"

"…_who killed nii-san!_"

The two jumped down from the mast and shook the deck with their impact. Conis and Nami nearly lost their footing, while Aisa clutched onto Gormal's leg in order to not fall over. The two newcomers giggled merrily, watching the rather worried expressions of their opponents grow more intense by the second.

"_I am Hotori!_" said the one on the left.

"…_and I am Kotori!_" added the one on the right.

"_We are Satori-nii-san's brothers! It is time to avenge his death!_"

"_Which one is which? Just hold your breath!_"

"These guys are really creepy," Conis said in a low voice.

"They are lieutenants in Eneru's milita," Gan Fall said gruffly. "They should not be taken lightly." He was about to go on, but Hotori and Kotori interrupted him.

"_One of us has Axe!_"

"_One of us has Flame!_"

"_One of us has Impact!_"

"_One of us has Flavor!_"

"_Which is which?_"

"_What is what?_"

"_Can you tell us apart?_"

"_You better rush!_"

"I am so sorry for these two," Pagaya sighed. "They talk in riddles and rhymes way too often."

"What do they mean by Axe, Flame, Impact and Flavor?" Nami asked.

"Those are different sorts of dials," Aisa huffed. "Everyone knows that."

"Well, we're not 'everyone', kid," Gormal explained blandly.

"Should we go warn Chopper?" Nami thought out loud.

"The little reindeer's here too?" Conis gasped.

"Yeah, but since he's currently engaged at the moment, I think it would be alright if we took care of these jokers without him," Gormal said. He snatched the dial stick from Aisa's hand and took a step forward despite the young girl's protests.

"You don't seriously think you're going to face them by yourself, do you?" Gan Fall asked, walking over so that he was next to Gormal.

"Well, I did have a hand in beating their brother. It's only right."

"Yeah, but you had Usopp and Sanji with you then," Nami snorted, twisting together her Climatact and standing on the other side of Gormal. "Don't think you're going to be the only hero here."

"I'm touched," the dark-skinned man snickered. The three watched Hotori and Kotori carefully as they spun around, confusing them over which was which.

"_You may have beaten nii-san_," said one.

"…_but can you defeat us?_" asked the other. It was then that they stopped spinning and charged at the pirates and knight. The two groups met in the center of the deck, loud yawping heard out of them all.

**80808080808080808**

Far away from the _Merry Go_, Luffy was chasing the mysterious man through the brush, desperately attempting to catch up with him. Finally, Luffy was able to get close enough to be able to grab the man by the leg. The warrior stumbled on his waver skates and crashed hard into the ground. Before he could get his bearings and return to his feet, Luffy loomed over him, rage fierce in his eyes.

"What did you do to Maon!?" the captain snarled. He grabbed hold of the strap that held in place the bazooka on the man's back and slowed his speech threateningly. "Did you kill my nakama?"

"What if I did?" the warrior spat. "You people do not matter to me. All I want is to find that bastard Eneru and kill him with my own hands. Anyone who even thinks of standing in my way will die."

"Does this mean you want to kill me now?" The hairs on the back of Luffy's neck bristled in his rage.

"Of course," the man said, smiling viciously. He threw Luffy off of him and glared at the teen. Luffy flipped his straw hat back and focused intently.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Luffy: Oh, he's right ticked.

Zoro v Barham: Yes, Kuina won. I love it. -grins-

Pagaya, Conis and Aisa: They're really supposed to come later, but I did the artistic licencing thing again. It's lovely.

Hotori and Kotori: Ickies. I don't like them. That's why their annoying and rhyming.

This Chapter's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Set is the Egyptian god of storms, hence lighting. This was one of his original designations, being that he later became known as the god of evil.


	36. Ambisagrus

Reviewer thanks go out to _**Mango**_-san, _**Weixuan**_-san... that's it? Aww... that makes me sad. Well, here's the next chapter, whether I've gotten more than two reviews or not. I do not own _One Piece_.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _Ambisagrus_

"This is the one with the Flavor Dial!" shouted Gan Fall, coughing through a cloud of misty stench. He ducked another slap, which hit the railing of the _Merry_ and the wood exploded.

"That must mean this one has Flame and Axe!" Gormal concluded, dodging a slap himself. He jumped back and was forced to land on his hands. The twin that was fighting him followed, only to get a face full of the deck hand's boots.

"Gormal-san!" Conis gasped. She and her father were standing over by the door to the hold, making sure that Aisa did not try to run away and try to join in the fight herself. Now that she was unarmed, the young girl seemed even more volatile, trying to bite Conis's hand in retaliation.

"Stand still for a moment!" Nami snapped as she tried to hit the rotund twins with some electric balls. They would always move about, dodging and skirting her attacks with ease.

"_Ho, ho-ho!_" the twins laughed. They came together and grabbed one another's hands, spinning around again.

"No!" Gan Fall gasped. "Now we can't tell them apart anymore!"

"_Will you risk it all?_"

"_Can you take a chance?_"

"_Figure who we are!_"

"…_or just start to dance!_"

"Dance…?" Nami asked, slightly confused.

"I'll choose the fight," Gormal said with a grin. He ran over to Hotori and Kotori, taking Aisa's Dial Stick from his sash. "Burn Dial!" An inferno erupted from the small shell on the end of the stick and attempted to envelop the twins, yet when the flames receded, Gormal was shocked to see that both were completely untouched.

"_You are an idiot._"

"_Can't you see?_"

"_Flame against Flame?_"

"_More power for me!_"

Hotori and Kotori then held up all their hands, palms facing Gormal.

"_**FLAME DIAL!**_"

A large burst of fire, twice as large as what Gormal's had been, burst from the twins. Gormal was too much in shock to think and dropped to the ground in defense. He watched as the flames surged over him and at the very last moment was able to think about sticking Aisa's Burn Dial in it to replenish the energy.

"Gormal, you're an idiot!" Nami snapped. The deck hand struggled to his feet and retorted in shaky defense.

"Come on! How was I supposed to know that!?"

"It's common sense!" Aisa scolded.

"Oh, shut up you little brat! Conis-chan, get her and your father inside the hold with Chopper!"

"_Pay attention!_"

"_We're still here!_"

"_We won't leave…_"

"…_until you've met man's worst fear!_"

Everyone turned their attention towards Hotori and Kotori once again and found that the twins were on the move again. They rushed forward and charged at Gormal, one placing his hand on the deck hand's chest before he could react.

"_Impact!_" he yelled. Gormal flew backwards, blood trailing deftly in his path. After rolling a few times, he landed face down on the deck, not even moving an inch.

"Your days of terrorizing the citizens of Skypiea shall be no more!" Gan Fall announced. The twin that did not attack Gormal charged on him, extending his left palm outwards. Gan Fall attempted to parry with his lance, but failed.

"_Axe!_" the rotund attacker shouted with glee. The knight's shoulder began to spurt blood and he fell to the deck in pain.

"Oh, crap," Nami cursed. She looked at the injured Gan Fall and over to the still unmoving Gormal, whom Conis was trying desperately to shake into consciousness.

"_Only you are left!_"

"_The rest have fallen to our might!_"

"_Will you run now?_"

"_...or will you put up a good fight?_"

"Aw, Hell."

**80808080808080808**

Luffy effortlessly dodged a kick. The captain tried to land a punch on his opponent, but it was avoided with the same level of ease. Punch and kick… it all missed by a long shot for both parties. The two fighters kept meeting one another blow for blow and it was beginning to become tiresome.

"It seems like I have to rethink my plan of attack," the warrior grumbled, taking the large bazooka off of his back once he could kick Luffy to a sizeable distance away. With careful aim, the man pulled on one of the two triggers on the bazooka's handle. A gush of air wafted over Luffy, rather taking him by surprise. He quickly covered his nose and mouth in a grimace.

"Phew! That stinks!" he cringed. Luffy looked at the warrior curiously when he heard the sound of the bazooka cocking.

"Without that natural gas, this wouldn't be much of a Burn Bazooka."

"Shit."

The warrior fired the bazooka and instantly the entire clearing seemed to be aflame. Luffy ran away in panic, ducking behind a tree. He just barely got away with his life, for the tree a little bit more down the line was hit instead, charring the trunk into a crusty black.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" Luffy shouted, letting the warrior know that he was still there. He stepped out from behind the tree and began to run towards the man. "No one's going to out-bazooka me!" The boy-captain drew his arms back and attempted to land a Gomu-Gomu no Bazooka on the warrior, yet the brunt of the blow was deflected by the Burn Bazooka's barrel. This infuriated Luffy, sending him into a series of punches and stamps that were all countered by his opponent. When he paused for a moment to catch his breath, it was a slight relief to see that the warrior was panting just as heavily as he was.

"Maybe you are not so worthless after all," the warrior said as he drew deep breaths. "My name is Wiper."

"Mine's Luffy. That guy you killed was Maon, one of my nakama."

"I still do not understand why he thought he had a chance against us, or why any of you are even here," Wiper stated. "Yet at this point, I believe it only proper you know my name. Aside from Eneru, you are the most formidable opponent I've ever had."

"Good," Luffy spat as he tensed for another attack. He paused for a moment though, when he saw Wiper's eyes begin to trail upwards and grow large with fright. Once Wiper took and went to train his Burn Bazooka at whatever he was staring at, that was when Luffy turned around and came face-to-face with a very large set of fangs and sudden darkness.

Wiper stared at the oversized snake as it licked its scaly lips. Never in his entire life had he seen such a large creature, let alone such a strong fighter have himself done in so easily. The Burn Bazooka shook in his grasp.

"Stay back creature!" he commanded, though he never expected the snake to obey. To his total surprise, the large snake slunk back in a defeated manner and slithered away, taking Luffy with him and leaving a highly stunned Wiper to contemplate what exactly had just happened.

**80808080808080808**

Nami ran around dodging Hotori and Kotori the best that she could. The odds were highly unfair in her opinion and it was all she could muster to stay alive. She could see Conis standing warily in the doorway to the galley on Gormal's order, but wondered how much longer it would take for one of the rotund fighters to notice the blonde woman was weaponless.

"_Just give up! Your effort is a joke!_"

"_Accept your death. You neck's near broke!_"

Cringing, the navigator jumped backwards and out of sheer surprise, realized she had been backed into a corner. The twins chuckled with glee as they boxed her in without room to even squeeze in an attack with the Climatact. One of the men grabbed her by the throat and smiled as she screwed her eyes shut.

"_This is the end. You fought well_."

"_This is good-bye. See you in Hell_."

"_**IMPACT!**_"

Nami cringed as she heard the voice bellow her death-command. She waited for the pain to come, but instead the grip on her throat relaxed.

"_**IMPACT!**_" yelled the voice again. Nami opened her eyes to see that both Hotori and Kotori were laying on the deck before her, either unconscious or dead, she really could not tell. Just beyond them stood Gan Fall, clutching his bleeding arm and panting heavily.

"What did you just do!?" Nami demanded. "All the rest of the time you've been running around shouting at these nut-jobs!"

"I have an Impact Dial in my gauntlet," Gan Fall explained, weakly raising his injured arm. "It takes up so much of my energy and strength that I only use it in the utmost direst of situations."

"Don't you think that this situation was dire before I was almost killed!?" Nami snapped. Gan Fall laughed weakly and collapsed onto the deck.

"I'm coming Nami!" Chopper called as he rushed out onto the deck. Nami quickly looked over towards the little reindeer and saw that he was examining those who had fallen onto the deck. First he checked Gormal, then Gan Fall, the Twins and finally came to her.

"How are the rest?" she asked.

"Gormal should wake up any time now if I know him," Chopper sighed. "Gan Fall needs some rest and it is my bet that those creepy guys you were fighting are now dead." He finished double-checking Nami's condition and took a deep breath.

"Mister! Mister! Wake up!" Aisa cried. Nami and Chopper looked over to see that she was hitting Gormal on the chest. "Wake up! We have to go and find Wiper-sama! We need to go and fight Eneru! Come on!"

"Leave him alone, kid," Nami scolded. She marched over to Aisa and looked her sternly in the face. "Besides, going to fight Eneru is suicide."

"Wiper's going right now!" Aisa retorted defiantly. "He's gonna fight Eneru and kill him! I was going to go and help!"

"Nonsense," Conis added before Nami could say anything. "You cannot just go up to a God and challenge him to a fight to the death. It is unheard of."

"What do you know you spoiled Angel Islander!?"

"Shut up…" groaned Gormal wearily. He muttered a few more incoherent words, rolled over onto his chest and before long was able to shakily push himself up into a sitting position.

"Gormal! Don't move too much, you bastard!" Chopper exclaimed. He rushed over to the deck hand and helped prop him up properly.

"Did we win?" Gormal asked groggily.

"Of course," Nami growled angrily. "Now we have a major problem: Eneru's gone crazy and we have to warn everyone on Angel Island as well as those in the forest."

"It's a lot more complicated than that," Conis sighed. "We've all been labeled as heretics. No one who is in their right mind on Angel Island would listen to us. Our odds of convincing them are slim. Then there is the massive size of Upper Yard. How could we find everyone in time?"

"I apologize for interrupting, but I do believe that I might have some sort of solution for this!" Pagaya announced. Everyone looked over at him and saw that he was standing on the edge of the deck, two personal dial crafts next to him. Conis gasped.

"You cannot be serious Father," she said. "One of those is out of energy. We'd never be able to get through in time."

"I believe it can be done," the older man said. He patted the dial craft Aisa had been riding and smiled. "This one has been pointing towards the wind the entire time we were here. About twenty more minutes and it should be ready to go to Angel Island at the farthest."

"Fine, then I'm taking this one to warn Wiper-sama," Aisa announced, striding up to the other dial craft. She was stopped by a rather irritated Nami.

"No you don't. I'm coming with you," she said. Aisa pouted and reluctantly let Nami take the controls.

"Are you sure about this Nami?" Gormal asked. He shakily got to his feet and stared the navigator down. "Upper Yard's got to be dangerous if staying here's nearly killed us."

"I'll take my chances," Nami smiled weakly. "You go with Conis to Angel Island and we'll call it even." She revved up the dial craft and sped away, straight into Upper Yard and out of sight.

"This is just great," Gormal sighed, lethargically rubbing his neck and glancing over the mess that was Hotori and Kotori. He shuffled over to the seriously injured twins and shoved them off of the edge of the ship. Whether they had been dead or not mattered, for they would die anyways in the cloud moat below as Shura did.

"I do so hope that those two are going to be alright," Pagaya said as he and Conis watched the spot where Nami and Aisa disappeared into the woods. "I have heard many frightful stories about Upper Yard."

"They'll be fine," Gormal said. "That woman may be a tart, but she knows how to take care of herself."

"I do hope you are right Gormal-san," Conis said.

"I hope so too Conis-chan."

**80808080808080808**

Zoro examined the surrounding trees and brush and frowned.

"We're lost," he said plainly.

_We are not lost._

"Then where is everyone?"

_They're the ones who are lost._

"I thought I'm supposed to be the unreasonable one here."

_Role-swap. Oi, look! One of them freaky birds!_

Sure enough, Zoro looked up and saw a fairly large South Bird sitting on a relatively low branch of a tree, only about fifty feet in the air. He stood and pondered for a minute before acting.

_You wouldn't._

"I would."

The swordsman unsheathed Yubashiri and held it by the flat edge of the blade. Carefully, he used the sharp edge to scale the tree trunk until he was able to grab hold of the branch and crouch onto the precarious perch.

_You're an idiot_, Kuina scoffed.

"No I'm not," Zoro whispered as he adjusted the goggles on top of his head to over his eyes. "You're just jealous because you didn't think of it."

_If you die, I'm possessing your body for good and making you gay for Sanji._

"Nice try."

Zoro lunged at the South Bird, startling the creature beyond all wits. He grabbed hold of the bird's legs right before it was able to fly away. After a few moments of faltering, the bird was finally able to find its bearings and fly steadily.

"Told you so."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Gormal: Yes, I agree with Nami on this one. He's an idiot. Also, isn't that the third time in seven chapters this guy's been hit by a Impact Dial? For some reason, I must not have liked the guy very much when I wrote this or something.

Luffy v Wiper: Yeah, that's about how it goes. That battle was at least closer to canon than the Zoro v Barham one.

Gan Fall: ...is an idiot.

This Chapter's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Ambisagrus is the Celtic god of thunder/lightning. Gotta love the Celts.


	37. Sabatoging Summanus's Game

I always knew that the dude that ran 4Kids was a total jerk, just by what he approved of concerning the One Piece dub. What I just recently found out, thanks to wikipedia, its source links and the need of some time to vent after a long day at work, was that he obviously knows nothing about everything and I don't think his company has real children as their test subjects. Plus he insulted a room full of librarians. I'm surprised he's still alive, knowing how fierce my high school's librarian is. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Sakura**_-chan and _**Dream**_-san.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _Sabotaging_ _Summanus's Game_

Zoro watched the ground beneath him whip by at what seemed like incredible speed. He was glad he had taken the goggles, else he was sure his eyes would have watered up shut.

_Lucky_, Kuina hissed. _You're goddamn lucky, that's all._

"That's how I survive. I thought you knew that by now."

_Nami may think you're an idiot, but I know better._

"Nami thinks I'm an idiot?"

_All the women who have been onboard think so. Robin and Yume too. I could tell right off the bat just because of how they looked at you, Nami and Yume in particular._

"Thanks for opening that wound."

_Welcome._

Suddenly, Zoro and Kuina both gasped at the sharp, jerky motion of the South Bird. It had finally realized that the swordsman was clutching its legs and was making an effort to shake him off. It thrashed and wriggled until Zoro was forced to release his grip on the bird's legs and fall into the trees below. He landed with a crash and tumbled down to the forest floor, the various branches cushioning his fall somewhat and making sure that when he finally landed, his skull stayed intact.

"Ah, shit," Zoro swore, rolling over onto his back. He could feel the soft dirt and moss about him cradle his bare arms and neck, as if inviting him to fall asleep at that very moment.

_Brilliant_, Kuina said monotonously, ruining the calm moment. _Sheer brilliance. I knew you were reckless…_

"You have a problem with me doing my own thing here?" Zoro snapped as he stood up.

_I have a problem with dying again, thank you very much. Do you really think I'm planning on leaving here anytime soon? You're so wild sometimes; I might just lose my life for a second time before I turn twenty-five!_

"Come on, where's the fun in sitting still?" Zoro laughed. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that the dirt ended not too far from where he was standing. The swordsman walked over to the edge and saw that the ground continued on with the solid cloud. The surrounding cloud seemed to be strewn with all sorts of crumbling terra cotta buildings and creeping vines.

_I don't think I like this place_, Kuina mentioned. A chill ran up Zoro's spine ominously.

"Stop spooking me."

_I can't help it. There's something about these buildings and this section of the island. I can't put a finger on it, but it's telling me that this place is kind of… well…_

"Dangerous?"

_No, even worse: haunted._

**80808080808080808**

The branches snapped and whipped about as Nami barreled through the forest. Aisa, terrified, clutched onto the redhead's waist for her life. She wanted to close her eyes, but the adrenaline of the ride was too much. A waver was supposed to be used for riding on clouds, not on dirt. Everything was shaking and jarring much more violently than the girl would like.

"You're going too fast!" she tried to yell over the wind.

"We're fine!" Nami replied. She noticed a change in the terrain from soil to cloud in the distance and made a sharp turn to the right and then left towards the white ground. The navigator made a face of determination and sped forward.

_Everyone better be alright_, Nami thought. _If I have to save them, that's a doubling of their interest._

**80808080808080808**

Robin gasped as she walked out of the tunnel. Looking all around, she saw the grand vastness of what she had believed to be her largest architectural and archaeological find to date. Despite the fact she had to dig through some cloud and even fight some triangular-shaped and very rude man to get here, it was all worth it. She was amongst the remains of a huge city; though more importantly, an amphitheatre. Many of the buildings were crumbling with age and decay, yet there was still much standing erect and strong. A rather large vine seemed to spiral upwards through the very center, giving off a sort of fairytale atmosphere. It was truly a stunning sight. She walked down the stone steps and took another look, seeing that the particular ruin she was in was very much like an amphitheatre as she so correctly assumed. With a smile, Robin headed towards the giant vine with giddy curiosity in her step.

**80808080808080808**

"What is this?" Zoro asked aloud as he walked through the ruins. What he saw were mostly large piles of rocks, sometimes taking more shape than the next pile. The swordsman even came a cross a pile of squared cloud blocks and a hole in the ground, but decided against investigating.

_It's way too quiet here_, Kuina noticed.

"Yeah. I don't like it. I feel exposed."

_That Barham guy in the woods didn't help either._

"Wait, be quiet!" Zoro whispered, dropping his voice to a low whisper. He crouched down and began to crawl over towards one of the terra cotta piles. Peering over the edge, he saw that there were two men and a very large dog were only a hundred meters away. One man with rather interesting looking hair and a shocked expression on his face was waist-deep in the cloud and was sinking rather rapidly. The other man with the dog was standing across from the sinking man, his eyes hidden by superfluous sunglasses. He scratched his bald head lazily and sighed.

"Idiot. I knew that one of these days you'd get the better of yourself with that stupid Swamp Trial," the bald man groaned.

"…b-b-but the b-b-badg-ger…!" the sinking man sniffled. His eyes rolled up to the back of his head as his shoulders were claimed by the cloud. Within moments he was gone and there was only the one man and the dog left.

_Are they two of the priests?_ Kuina asked.

"Have to be. Otherwise I wouldn't feel like charging them."

_You sure are predictable._

"Holy," the bald man said, his voice strong and resolute, "we have more to save."

The dog barked in reply and began to sniff about. The creature stopped when his snout was pointing in the direction of Zoro.

"Ah, shit!" Zoro quickly moved back before the chunk of terra cotta he was hiding behind exploded.

"You must be a very powerful fighter to have gotten this far," the man said. He examined Zoro visually, attempting to determine how much force should be used to kill him. "You do not look like one of the Shandians that were going to attack. You must be one of the Blue Sea Pirates."

"Are you one of the priests?" Zoro asked, a smirk going across his face. He drew his swords and laughed internally.

'_Don't do it! Run!'_

_Too bad._

"My name is Ohm," the bald man said proudly. "You are now to be judged by my Trial of Iron. This trial has a survival rate of zero percent."

"I like the odds."

"You'd be the first."

Ohm drew a sword hilt from his belt and aimed carefully at the green-haired swordsman. Then, a stream of white shot from the hilt and rushed at Zoro. It took all he had to dodge the attack. After a tuck-and-roll, Zoro landed on his feet and had to immediately block the white jet-stream headed straight for his face. He struggled to hold back the attack and noticed that the surge of white had, indeed, curved.

"What is going on here!?" he spat. The strong white stream receded back into the hilt and Ohm laughed heartily.

"You Blue Sea natives sure are ignorant, aren't you?" he chortled. "This is the Trial of Iron. There is a Milky Dial in the hilt of my sword and it allows me to create a stream of cloud as though as iron that I can use to control to my will. The best part is… I know your moves before you even make them. My mantra abilities surpass even those of Eneru-kami-sama."

"Impossible," Zoro scoffed. He swallowed to wet his dry throat and charged.

_Kuina! Talk to me!_

'_Huh? Why?'_ The spirit was perplexed. _'Don't you want to concentrate?'_

_If he can read my mind, then he had to read both of us at the same time!_

'_I get it now!' Kuina laughed. 'Sometimes, you're such an intelligent idiot!'_

_I try._

"What is going on inside that brain of yours?" Ohm asked, rather confused. He looked at Zoro as he parried a blow by the man.

"You don't have to deal with just me here," the swordsman grinned.

'_Yeah! You've got to deal with me too!'_

"So then… you are possessed, or rather one of your weapons is possessed," Ohm observed. "I have to give you credit for using this advantage to at least try to confuse my mantra abilities. It is a shame I am not that dead fool Satori, otherwise, you would not have failed. Holy… attack him."

"Eh…?" Zoro muttered, slightly confused. Ohm the laughed as Zoro was hit in the side by a large and furry paw.

"Damn!" the swordsman cursed as he stood up shakily. He looked over at Ohm and saw that the dog was standing on its hind legs. Zoro and Kuina both requited a double-take.

_Is that dog standing on its hind legs?_

'_Yes.'_

_That's what I was afraid of._

Holy barked and began to chase Zoro about the ruins. The dog was fast and Zoro was only barely faster.

'_We have to stop him before he gets down on all fours!'_ Kuina said, panic in her voice.

"I know that!" The swordsman leapt quickly to the right in order to avoid the crazed canine. "Why can't this thing just stop!?"

'_That's it! Tell it to stop!'_

"That will not work," Ohm sneered. "Holy is extremely loyal to me. There is no way that you can make him attack me."

"Fine! Then… STAY!" Zoro bellowed. Holy stopped right in his tracks and sat, obediently awaiting a new command.

'_Hey, I like this,'_ Kuina commented.

"Knock yourself out," Zoro chuckled. Holy did as he was told and punched himself in the temple. The dog then fell over onto the ground, rendering himself unconscious.

"Not so tough now, huh?" Zoro asked, smirking with pride.

"Clever," Ohm sighed. "Not clever enough. Your soul is full of sin and therefore I must kill you. Your soul must be purified and brought towards the Gate to the Spirit World."

'_You're a nutcase.'_

"…and you're a spirit yourself," the priest replied acidly. "I wouldn't be talking if I were you."

"Do you really think she'll shut up for you if I can't even get her to be quiet?" Zoro laughed.

"This Trial is not finished with."

"Then come and get me."

Ohm smirked and drew his hilt, pointing it at Zoro. In a flash, the blade came out and whipped behind Ohm, blocking a surprise attack from behind. Wiper stood in shock as his staff began to buckle under the pressure of the sword.

"Damn," he cursed.

"You should know by now I can predict what moves you make in battle. Imbecile."

"Hey! I'm still over here you know!" Zoro shouted as a prompt from Kuina. Zoro placed the Wado Ichimonji between his teeth and charged at Ohm. Chuckling to himself, the priest dodged and Zoro almost sliced Wiper.

"Watch what you're doing with those things!" the Shandian snapped. Zoro growled at him in defense.

"You two both better pay attention to me, for I can always ask Eneru-kami-sama for some assistance," Ohm suggested. Wiper and Zoro glanced over to see that Ohm was grinning widely.

'_Nuts_.'

"I don't know why you're so worried," Zoro spat in a hushed tone.

"I think you should be worried," Ohm laughed. "Start praying for salvation."

"You're funny," Zoro scoffed. "What in the hell do I have to pray to? I'm insulted to think that you want me to do such a thing."

"Don't take them too lightly, Blue Sea Native," Wiper growled. "These guys are more than just assholes with fancy weapons."

"For once, I would have to agree with a Shandian," Ohm smiled. "Now... pray or die."

**80808080808080808**

"Where is this Wiper guy you're looking for?" Nami asked, stalling the waver and scanning the landscape. Aisa scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be looking for him."

"You sure are mouthy for a kid, aren't you?"

"You sure are ugly for a woman," Aisa retorted. Nami hissed in protest and revved up the dial again. She whipped through the woods, weaving dangerously between the trees and nearly throwing both her and Aisa off.

"Hey, there's some cloud over there!" Nami cried out, excitement in her voice. If she could get to the cloud, then the ride would become much smoother and simpler to control. She sped up and came to an abrupt stop at the very inner edge of the piece of cloud.

"Wow…" Aisa and Nami said in synch. They saw all around them large mounds of terra cotta, some in the form of crumbling buildings. Both girls hopped down from the waver and began walking alongside it, marveling at the structures.

"This place is so cool," Aisa said in a loud whisper.

"Yeah…" Nami agreed. Her head snapped to the left when she heard the sound of an explosion.

"Wiper-san!" Aisa gasped. The two jumped back onto the waver and they rushed towards the source of the disturbance. When they found Wiper and Zoro, they were in a cage of white cloud that was crackling and fizzing sporadically, trapped with Ohm and carefully attempting to land blows on the priest. At the sound of his name, Wiper's head snapped in the direction of the young girl.

"What do you think you are doing here!?" Wiper snapped angrily. He glared at Aisa and growled. "You're supposed to be in the village with the other children!"

"I wanted to help you!" Aisa retorted.

"Nami! You idiot! Why in the hell are you here!?" Zoro bellowed.

"I couldn't let the kid come here all by herself!" Nami answered defensively. "Besides, you're in danger!"

"That's sort of obvious!" Zoro snarled, going back to his fruitless fight with Ohm.

"No, I mean, Eneru's going to destroy Angel Island! Everyone's lives are in danger because of it!"

"So then," Ohm chuckled. "You know. I think this means that you have to die as well." The tip of his sword rocketed towards the two females. Nami gasped and closed her eyes.

"Augh!" bellowed two voices in pain. Nami opened her eyes and saw that both Zoro and Wiper had tried to block the attack from going through the cage, the both of them being slammed back into the bars of cloud and having electric shocks surging throughout their bodies. Ohm retracted his sword and the two fighters fell to the ground in exhaustion. He chuckled, before a voice that was not his own cut through the air.

"Well, this makes it all the more easier to kill you."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Zoro's South Bird Plot: You know the guy's smart. No one really gives him credit most of the time because he does things without thinking them through... like this.

Gedatsu: Yes, for those who do not know, Gedatsu is the name of the Swamp priest who sunk himself in the cloud. I had him talking about a badger because he is supposed to fight Chopper, whom he calls a badger and a tanuki (racoon) in the fan translations I have. I didn't feel the slightest bit horrid eliminating him like this... wanna know why? He's a twit that is only useful once he gets his own side-story.

Ohm: One of a few things: A) one of the reasons that electronics class was bad for me (we talked about the unit ohm, as well as something about _Gravitation _not being yaoi), B) a nasty bugger C) just plain crazy D) did I mention he was a bugger...? ...and crazy...?

The Cage: In the _real_ anime/manga, the cage does not do the whole electric-shock thing. It just is barbed wire-cloud.

This Chapter's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Summanus is a Roman god of thunder, I do believe right along there next to Jupiter. If I'm wrong, I don't care anymore. I just want this arc over with.


	38. Raiden's Revenge

I am nervous. I have only X amount of the next arc written and all my creative-ness seems to be flowing into "_Inherited Will, Destiny of the Age_", whether I like it or not. Oh, I hope I don't end up abandoning this. That would be so shameful. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Butterfly**_-san.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _Raiden's Revenge_

Sweat poured off of Gormal's brow as he tried to keep the dial craft steady. He took a corner of the Milky River rather sharply and nearly capsized. It was much more difficult steering a dial craft than he had first thought, especially since he had Conis riding along with him, keeping a tight hold on his midsection so that she did not fly off. Strapped to her back was a bazooka that they had found in the seat of the craft, obviously a weapon Aisa had wanted to transport to Wiper, but forgot about. If they could not talk the Angel Islanders off the island, they were going to have to unfortunately be threatened.

"How much longer until Angel Island?" Gormal yelled over the roar of the dial craft and rushing air. It had felt as if he was driving the waver for ages.

"Only a while longer!" Conis responded, tightening her grip on Gormal's waist. He was going much faster than she had ever dared to go in even a boat. Conis closed her eyes and within what felt like moments, could feel the dial craft jar to an abrupt stop and hear the gasps and murmurs of a group of surrounding people. She could hear soft whispers about the dial craft, about her, about Gormal, about the bazooka strapped to her back; it was all quite frightening.

"Tell them Conis!" Gormal demanded. Conis opened her eyes to see that she was in the middle of Lovely Street's wharf. Everyone was staring at the two of them from the safety of the road. Conis went pale at the thought of the deck hand pushing the dial craft to a quicker speed than she ever would have dared. Forcing herself to swallow all fear left inside her, she jumped off the dial craft and tried to beseech the crowd.

"Please listen to me!" she screamed. "Eneru-kami-sama is going to kill us! He is preparing to destroy Angel Island!" She was met with apprehension.

"Impossible!"

"Eneru-kami-sama would never do that!"

"You lie!"

Conis gasped as she saw a White Beret emerge from the crowd. He carried a rather imposing rifle with him and stared at both Conis and Gormal.

"You are committing highly serious crimes against Eneru-kami-sama, punishable by immediate annihilation!" shouted the White Beret. "Blasphemers… repent now!"

"It is true! Everything I am telling you is true! Eneru-kami-sama is going to kill us if we do not leave! We talked to a member of God's Militia and those were his dying words!" A gasp came from the crowd of people and whispers began to form.

"Lies!" the White Beret shouted, raising his gun. Conis's eyes grew wide at the clear aggression being shown towards her. She gulped at the sound of the gun cocking, the barrel trained on her. She reached back for the bazooka, but it was an effort in vain. Without warning, the glare of the sun was blocked from Conis's view as Gormal stepped in front of her.

"Stop this!" he shouted. "Why can't you trust her!? She just wants to save your lives!"

"Silence Blue Sea Citizen and stand aside! Not only should you have been dealt with by the Priests, but you also have absolutely no reason to lecture us!"

"Gormal-san!" Conis pleaded. "There are my people! I am able to make them understand!"

"In case you haven't realized it yet, but they do not exactly seem open to suggestions," Gormal said, keeping his eyes trained on the White Beret. Conis glanced around to see the frightened and disbelieving faces of her fellow Angel Islanders, many of whom she had known since childhood.

"Stand aside Blue Sea Native!" the White Beret shouted.

"Don't you see what you are doing?!" She is telling the truth!" Gormal bellowed angrily, refusing to budge.

"Stand aside!"

"You are making a huge mistake!"

"Gormal-san…!"

"Conis…!" Gormal snapped as he turned around to face her. He was cut off as a gunshot resounded throughout the air and a bullet lodged in his right shoulder.

"GORMAL-SAN!" Conis screeched as the blood spurt from his shoulder. Gormal grimaced and clutched his shoulder, staggering to keep on his feet.

"Stand aside Blue Sea Citizen or I will not miss a vital organ next time," the White Beret said. Conis looked up at the soldier and found that here were more soldiers there, every one aiming their rifles at them. Conis took the bazooka from her back and pointed it at the soldiers.

"Gormal-san, I'll hold them off!"

"Hold fire men," ordered a familiar voice. McKinley stepped out of the crowd and the soldiers lowered their rifles. Conis sighed in relief and laxly allowed the bazooka to drop to the ground. She ran up to the White Beret and tried to explain the situation.

"Please! You have to leave!" she shouted while she ran half in tears. "Eneru-kami-sama is preparing to destroy us all! I am not lying!"

"Silence blasphemer!" ordered McKinley, having Conis freeze in her tracks. He backhanded Conis and the force of the blow made her lose balance and stagger into Gormal. The man caught her and after he was sure she was fine, charged at McKinley, ready to kill.

"Don't you dare touch her!" he bellowed. Gormal's path was stopped right before he reached the White Beret Leader, his anger being restrained by bulky underlings.

"Stupid fool," McKinley sneered. He looked suspiciously at Gormal and walked up a little closer, examining the man's face. "Wait a moment… you're Shandian, aren't you?" Gormal responded by hacking up a spitball and aiming it right between McKinley's eyes. McKinley wiped his face in disgust and decked Gormal solidly on the jaw.

"Gormal-san!" Conis screamed. The blonde seemed almost forgotten in the fray, none of the White Berets or gawkers seemingly paying attention to her anymore.

"You people have no idea to what you're doing!" Gormal announced, attempting to seem unphased by the blow. "That prick you call a god is going to massacre everyone who chooses to stay on Angel Island!"

"Do not listen to him!" McKinley shouted to the crowd. He snapped his fingers and the men restraining Gormal began to tie up his arms to behind his back and forced him to kneel on the ground. "This man and his comrades are in league with the Shandian barbarians! Such revolutionary ways are forbidden and punishable on site!"

"Get off this island! It will save your lives!" Gormal interrupted.

"SILENCE!" McKinley screamed, aiming his rifle at Gormal's brow. "You shall repent with your life! Be saved Shandian rebel!"

"Gormal-san! No!" Conis screeched, unable to simply stand there any longer. Completely forgetting the fact that they had brought along a bazooka, she began to run towards McKinley and Gormal, trying futilely to save the bronzed man. She was almost at Gormal's side when the unexpected happened.

_KERRACK_

A bolt of lightning a bolt of lightning came down from the sky, landing right between McKinley and Gormal. The electricity in the air was so powerful it knocked over the White Beret Leader, releasing the rifle from his grip.

"What the…?" McKinley gasped. Everyone sans Conis and Gormal stared shocked at the sky, watching as a mass of dark clouds encroached towards the island bringing rumbling thunder and sparking electricity.

"Oh Gormal-san," Conis sighed with relief as she ran over and untied the bonded man. "I was so worried for you!"

"Thanks," Gormal smiled, catching his breath from the shock of the lighting bolt. He stood up and cleared his throat, readying himself to address the crowd again. "The skies have never darkened like this under Eneru! He is preparing an attack! Flee now if you value your lives!"

"Just a coincidence!" McKinley snapped, grabbing his rifle and training the barrel on Gormal's chest. Gormal gently moved Conis so that he was sure she was behind him in order for her to be as safe as the situation could allow. The sky grew considerably darker as the two men stared one another down.

"Do you really call the destruction of your entire island simply a co…" Gormal began to yell. He was drowned out by a series of lightning bolts and cracks of thunder that erupted behind and all around him. Conis gasped in fright. The crowd of Angel Islanders became quiet.

"Flee this island! Go out to the White-White Sea!" Gormal yawped over the sound of a thunderclap. The light that sparked and fizzled in the clouds played with the shadows and made his face appear to be more possessed than angry. Another series of lightning bolts came crashing into the surrounding area and the crowd of townspeople screamed. Panic began to take control as people ran about out of confusion.

"I…" McKinley whispered, staring wide-eyed at the erupting sky. "I… can't… believe it. Is this really happening…? Eneru said that if we did everything he commanded, that Angel Island would be safe from his wrath. How can this be happening?"

"Of course it is," Gormal said, walking towards McKinley and keeping about him an air of solidity. "Now, we're going to have to use your authority to help these people escape in time. Let's get moving."

"R-Right," McKinley nodded, seeing the smile that had crept across Gormal's face. He turned towards the crowd of panicked Skypieans and began shouting as loud as he could. "LISTEN! GO TO YOUR SHIPS! TAKE WITH YOU ONLY WHAT YOU NEED TO SURVIVE! SHARE BOATS WITH THOSE WHO HAVE NONE! LET'S GO!" The crowd paused and then rushed to follow the orders through. Gormal looked over at Conis and let his lips curl into a relieved smile.

"Let's get out of here, Conis-chan."

"Agreed, Gormal-san."

**80808080808080808**

Robin heard the sound of an explosion and jerked her head up. She took her hand from the terra cotta wall and scanned her surroundings. The clouds above were becoming darker and the static in the air was making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Something is wrong," she told herself out loud. She could hear voices as she walked closer to one of the tunnels in the terra cotta wall. She walked through and came upon a rather disturbing sight. Eneru was standing in front of Wiper and Zoro, laughing maniacally. A man was spread on the ground, having been electrocuted and internally burned to a crisp. Robin had no idea of knowing that Eneru had, not even five minutes prior to her arrival, turned traitor on his own priest, killing him with a lethal thundershock.

"Robin!? What are you doing here!?" Zoro snapped as he caught sight of the woman out of the corner of his eye. Nami already had enough sense to silently hide herself and Aisa behind a terra cotta mass. He was wondering why Robin was not doing the same.

"I was exploring on my own and you men happened to interrupt me," she said calmly. "How unfortunate it is to have such a thing. I was able to look at the ruins enough to read the Poneglyphs carved onto the walls."

"Poneglyphs?" Wiper sneered. "What are you talking about, woman?"

"So, you can read them?" Eneru asked. "That is a very dangerous thing to admit. Even though I was born on an island of cloud, I know that your government would readily kill anyone with the ability. That's what I like about them: they're ruthless to a fault."

"Then you would do good to let us leave," Robin said.

"I can't though!" Eneru said innocently. "I need to make sure that my fighter number prediction comes true!"

"Oh, really?" Zoro asked acidly. Eneru smiled in a sweetly haunting grin.

"Three hours, five fighters left," the blond man explained. "I was expecting Yama and my priests would survive, but that is obviously not true. There's six of us here, including the idiot snake that does not even deserve to be considered a fighter and the woman hiding behind that rock over there."

_Oh, shit!_ Nami cursed. She had been crouched down, her eyes clenched tightly shut. She opened them to see that Aisa was gone, the girl having abandoned the navigator and the waver in search of safety from Eneru.

"So," Eneru continued, "the only way to solve this is to kill off someone. Now, who shall it be? The nosy one? The moss head? The savage? The useless one? The beast?"

"How about you?" Robin, Zoro and Wiper said all together, pointing at Eneru.

"How insolent," Eneru scoffed, rolling his eyes. He gave each one of the three people a good look-over before cracking a smile.

"How about you," he smiled at Robin. The archaeologist tensed up and immediately, arms began to sprout from Eneru's person, attempting in vain to restrain him. Eneru released his attack and Robin's body twitched in the severe shock. Unconsciously, when the lightning ceased, she staggered slightly before falling backwards. Without allowing a thought to pass through his consciousness, Zoro rushed over to catch Robin before she fell.

"How dare you," he snarled. "She's just a woman who never did you any harm. You have no reason to attack her!"

"On the contrary," Eneru shrugged. "She attacked me."

"Out of self defense!" Zoro gingerly placed Robin down on the ground and readied his swords. He then charged at Eneru, who caught the blades with his hands.

"Voli," he said casually, causing electricity to surge through Zoro's swords. Eneru sneered as Zoro fell limply to the ground. The green-haired swordsman's body was covered in scorch marks and smoked as it crumpled at the false god's feet.

"See?" Eneru snickered. "Mortal men should beg when they are near death. Death is what they all fear."

"Zoro!" Nami gasped. She heard the sound of metal-on-stone clanging and out of the corner of her eye, caught the sight of Wiper running up to Eneru. The man had dropped his weapon and was running full force towards Eneru. His voice was enveloped into a yawping war-cry, transforming him from a man into a vengeful specter intent on his kill.

"You can do nothing without a weapon," Eneru laughed. "What are you going to do, smack me to death?"

"Ever hear of a little thing called 'seastone' Eneru?" Wiper snarled, slamming his palm over Eneru's heart. "IMPACT!" The false god's body jerked back violently and slumped to the ground. Wiper towered over the body and sighed out of relief.

_Did he do it…?_ Nami asked silently, watching carefully. She stood up so that she saw the scene easier. Eneru's body was not moving as Wiper allowed his knees to buckle and laughter overtake him. It did very much seem as if Eneru had been defeated.

At least, he was defeated for about a minute.

The hairs on Nami's arms stood on end as static surged throughout the air. A crackling sound was heard and Eneru gasped for air. Wiper fell backwards in shock as Eneru stood back up shakily.

"H-How is this possible…!?!?" the Shandian sputtered, rage building in his voice.

"Some people are just meant to stay living, didn't you know that?" Eneru sneered. "That trick won't work twice on me, you know. _Voli_." A bolt of lighting came from Eneru's body and hit Wiper. The warrior tried to stand up, but Eneru growled and amped up the voltage, rendering Wiper unconscious. When the Shandian fell to the ground, Eneru let out a sound of self-satisfaction.

_Oh no!_ Nami panicked. She gasped when Eneru's gaze shifted onto her. _He's gonna kill me! Why did that brat have to take the waver!?_

"So, you're the only one left then, hm?" Eneru asked, a smug grin creeping across his face. He walked so that he was only a few feet from Nami before he was cut off by a voice he did not expect.

"Leave her alone."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Gormal and Conis: This was one of the first scenes I wrote for this arc, so I feel like the writing is a bit strange. No matter though. This is important, because I make Gormal wicked sweet and I don't steal Conis's bazooka fetish from her character. Nice. -nod- The bad thing about it though? I was converted to Wiper/Conis after I wrote this. Nuts.

Robin: To tell you the truth, she's supposed to have a fight scene with Yama, but I didn't like it very much, so I just had her go straight to the ruins and then to the melee. In the manga she gets there a different way. I kinda cheat. Being fair though, she did get zapped in the original story... as well as Gan Fall. See? I shirked him of proper ownage too.

This Week's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Raiden is one of the dudes from Mortal Kombat. So what happens when Raiden takes his revenge? Some freaky off-screen voice bellows "FINISH HIM!" and death ensues. I throughly enjoy that game.


	39. The Confesstion of Horgalles

You're all gonna hate me... I know it. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Sakura**_-chan, because she is awesome like that.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _The Confession of Horgalles_

Eneru looked about and tried to identify the owner of the voice. "Stop this," came the voice again. Finally, the false god looked and saw that Zoro was trying to stand.

"Come back to apologize?" he sneered. "Beg? Beg like all the other mortal men?"

"You have had no reason to hurt any one of us since this began," Zoro said, standing straight up. "You got Robin, your own priest, that warrior guy... you even tried to kill Zoro. You did it for what...? For kicks."

"Talking about yourself in the third person now?" Eneru laughed. "I must have fried your brain pretty well."

"Who ever said I was Zoro?" the swordsman said gruffly. Nami gasped.

_His voice_, she thought. _It's different. Wait... the way he's holding himself is different too. It's almost like he's not…_

"You aren't Zoro," Nami said shakily. "Who are you?" The green-haired man looked at her and a chill went down the navigator's spine.

"I might as well tell you. My name is Kuina."

_Kuina...? ...but that's a girl's name. Who in the world...?_

"Lost your mind have you!?" Eneru interrupted. He grinned broadly as he walked up to the swordsman. "Well, time to die."

"I died once already," Kuina answered. "I'd like not to do it again for a while. There's a dream to be had, you know. The man whose body I currently possess has to achieve it, or else everything will fall into ruin."

"Bullshit," Eneru spat. "That is impossible. No mortal can cling to life after death."

"Well, meet the exception," Kuina said, contorting Zoro's mouth into a smirk. She picked her sword up off the ground and charged at her opponent. Slashing through Eneru's body, Kuina went and kept on sliding the blade straight through the electric gashes. Nothing worked and finally, Eneru actually stopped a swipe of the sword with his bare hand.

"Goodbye," he said casually. Instantly, Kuina was hit with a thunderbolt, much more powerful than the one that knocked Zoro from consciousness. The already-strained body could not take any more and Kuina fainted from the sheer intensity of the voltage.

"See?" Eneru said as Zoro's body dropped to the ground for the second time. "Men are so easily manipulated by the face of danger. They turn into different people completely, sometimes twisting their entire identities in order to fit the purpose. How can such paper creatures be allowed to exist in a perfect world? Anserine."

"I… I agree…" Nami gulped. She stood alone, shaking warily.

"You agree with me?" Eneru smiled, walking up to Nami. He walked until he was directly in the navigator's face. "You understand the insignificance of such weak men?"

"Of course," Nami said. "They are positively ridiculous. Such weak-minded individuals are useless in this world." She smiled nervously as energy from the false god began to sporadically surge up into the sky and light the darkened sky even more, creating the eeriest of effects.

"I like you," Eneru laughed. "I have decided! You shall be the one to come with me to Fairy Vearth!"

"As long as you permit me to bring my waver," Nami said sweetly.

"Of course," Eneru replied courteously. Nami walked over to her waver and walked it back over towards Eneru.

_I'm sorry you guys_, she thought. _Just give me a little bit of time._ _I'll get him away from here and then come back. I promise._

**80808080808080808**

Kuina looked around, wondering about what had happened. The space she was in seemed to be very similar to Upper Yard, but there was a very odd feeling about it. She looked down and saw that she was not using Zoro's body as an avatar, but was in an adult version of her own. She held the Wado Ichimonji in her hand and felt almost as if she were truly alive again.

"I see you made it here alright," said a masculine voice. The swordswoman spun around and came face to face with a man. He seemed to be in his late forties, but still kept the kind smile of a twenty-year-old. His eyes were filled with sorrow and there was a mark running all along the base of his neck, as if he had been beheaded.

"Who are you?" Kuina asked.

"My name is Montblanc Norland," the man said. "Despite the fact I died in my homeland, I found that my spirit has become attached to this land I loved so much."

"What are you talking about?" Kuina questioned. "This is Upper Yard, isn't it?"

"No," Norland said. "This land is Shandora, no matter how many leagues in the air it may be."

"Shandora? What are you talking about?"

"Are you familiar with my tale? Do they teach it as a lesson to lying children?"

"In the North Blue, yes," Kuina answered. "I heard it only recently. One of your descendant informed my group that it was a pack of lies. The story portrays you as a liar of the worst kind, spinning deceitful tales all the way to the execution plank."

"Just as I thought, though I was proclaiming the truth, nothing more," Norland said sadly. "I was mortified to return to Shandora and discover that the entire tribe was gone. Calgara and his people were my good friends and I had believed that they perished into the sea."

"Calgara?" Kuina glanced at Norland warily. "Who was Calgara?"

"That would be me," said another voice, this one much gruffer and deeper than Norland's. Kuina craned her neck to the left and saw that there was a tribal man with long, wild hair and a heavy scowl walking up to them. "Norland, I thought you said you would not talk to her until I got here."

"I apologize Calgara. I got ahead of myself."

"What is going on here?" Kuina demanded. "How am I even talking to you two!?" She pointed at Norland and frowned. "You lived four hundred years ago!"

"It has been four hundred years? Oh, my, it really has been a long time, hasn't it?" Norland smiled.

"If we shouldn't exist anymore, then how do you exist?" Calgara questioned, a critical look upon his face. "You have the spirit vessel of that sword, while Norland and I are attached to this earth. This is the Spirit Plane. That is why you are here and not the man who's body harbors you."

"Shit! Zoro's wandering around without me there?" Kuina gasped.

"He is asleep," Calgara sighed, making it sound like it was a simple matter. "Both of you were knocked out in battle. I am not sure if you remember. It was quite a while ago already."

"Well then, what did you want to tell me?" Kuina asked.

"We wanted to thank you," Norland said, a smile spreading his lips happily.

"Thank me? What did I do?"

"You and your friends have undone four hundred years of strife and hatred with the ringing of the Light of Shandora," Calgara explained. "Many years ago, before the island was thrust up into the sky, Norland and I became friends despite the fact we had many differences. When he and his fleet left, I promised that my people would ring the Light of Shandora every day until he returned. After only a year, our world was taken away and I died in battle in an attempt to keep this place from being overtaken by the greedy people of the clouds. It was a miracle my daughter and son-in-law were able to survive."

"The Light of Shandora," Kuina said, scratching her chin. "What are you guys talking about?"

"The light is a very large, golden bell that has been the object of many of the quarrels between the Shandians and the Angel Islanders that was not over land, though now it has been entirely forgotten with time," Norland said. "It was to be rung every day until my return, yet I would have never known that upon my return to Shandora, my good friend had already perished and the Light lost."

"You mean return to Jaya? That is the island rumored to have the city of gold, right?"

"If that is what they call it now," Norland said wearily. "The Shandians called this island Shandora. Calgara and I have watched as generations of his people, including his descendants, try to fight for their land. It hurt to see so much fighting and hatred. Now you have mended everything."

"This is insane…" Kuina sighed.

"No more insane than the three of us talking together," Calgara shrugged.

"I guess you have a point there," the swordswoman shrugged. She then looked at the two other spirits and smiled. "So, Zoro and I were both defeated, huh?"

"That is correct. I watched it all. It was a rather one-sided duel that I doubt you would have had a chance of winning," Calgara shrugged. "I observed you and one of my descendants battle that arse of a man while Norland overlooked his cousin and an Angel Islander head off to warn her people."

"It was rather amusing to see such a man to begin with. He knew nothing of his own people, yet fought as recklessly as one… for a woman to boot."

"What are you talking about?" Kuina asked.

"One of the men who came with you to this island," Calgara said. "He's a member of my bloodline."

"Who? You mean Gormal? That's what everyone's been saying, but he comes from the West Blue. That's where his great-aunt said they were from."

"Did Mordag ever tell you that herself?" Calgara asked.

"Why no, she didn't," Kuina mused. She then looked at the tribesman curiously. "How did you know her name?"

"She was a stepsister to three brothers of my lineage and was betrothed to the youngest of them. A pirate from the Blue Seas was able to come here with the aide of a wild current and he sympathized with her. She left with him, her two eldest stepbrothers accompanying her, not wanting her to brave the unknown alone being that they cared for her like blood brothers would have. She must have been dropped off in the West Blue by the pirates. A cabin boy of that ship returned years later with his own crew and was chased off as soon as he was recognized." Calgara took a deep breath and sighed. "That man has my blood in him and he has no idea, does he?"

"People kept on calling him a Shandian, though no one could understand why. Before Zoro and I met Braham in the forest, we thought that all Shandians must have looked like Gormal if there was strong enough of a physical resemblance to mistake him for one." Kuina shifted in place uncomfortably. "That guy didn't look like Gormal at all. His skin was much lighter and he had quite a different body structure. To be honest, I was just going along for the ride. I couldn't really give a flying leap until he was threatening to kill Zoro."

"Understandable," Norland shrugged. "We are just spirits after all. Unless we give up our dignity to become poltergeists or happen to be able to possess a living creature, our impact on the world is nil and all we become is spectators. That is the trials about being attached to a worldly item in death."

"True… but Gormal is Wiper's cousin then, eh?" Kuina smiled, a sly look coming across her face. "This should prove interesting, since it seems that violence runs in the family."

"It shall be," Norland said with a smile.

"So, what is going on right now?" Kuina asked.

"Just listen," Calgara chuckled slightly. He closed his eyes and sighed. Warily, Kuina followed suit and shut her own lids.

_CLAAANG_

Kuina saw an image of Luffy on top of the giant beanstalk that cut through the center of the terra cotta ruins. The captain was smiling from ear to ear and laughing heartily in victory. There was a large bell hanging from one of the beanstalk's vines, ringing with a loud, clear tone. Down below, Nami stood besides Zoro's unconscious body, waving her arms around to try to flag someone down. Gormal and Conis arrived on a waver that was pulling along a cart with McKinley and Chopper in it. The reindeer immediately got to work on the injured fighters. In the distance there were large gatherings of people, Shandian and Angel Islander both. A few children were running though the woods, only to come across the unconscious Maon and wake him up with their shrill screaming. Kuina smiled.

"So, this is what we have done?" she asked. Norland chuckled.

"Of course. Nami went with Eneru in order to move him away from the injured. Luffy was able to escape the belly of the giant snake Norla and took Aisa with him to find Nami. Usopp and Sanji had beat him there and were already electrocuted a second time. Luffy was able to drive Eneru away with a very powerful punch. The man has already escaped in his ship, but that does not matter. Everyone is now safe."

"Are things going to become better after this?" Kuina asked.

"Only time will tell," Calgara said, staring hard at the two large groups of people. "They have yet to start fighting, so this looks good so far."

"It looks like your vessel's owner is stirring," Norland observed. Kuina looked down to see that Zoro was coming to. "You better get down there, you know."

"There are more questions I would like to ask you before I leave," the sword-spirit said.

"No, you must return to him," Calgara ordered. "Share with him the information we have passed on to you. Everyone must know the truth."

"…but…"

"Go…" Norland said kindly. Kuina looked at both men's spirits and sighed heavily.

"If I have to," she said. With that, Kuina could feel her essence be sucked downward forcefully, hurtling towards the stirring Zoro. She collided with the physical Wado Ichimonji and the green-haired swordsman bolted upwards with a start into a sitting position, panting heavily.

"Zoro!" Chopper gasped, jumping back at the sudden movement coming out of his patient. Zoro blinked heavily and looked at the back of his hand.

"I'm alive," he whispered.

'_Yeah,'_ Kuina said wearily. _'We've got a lot of catching up to do.'_

_What are you talking about?_

'_I met the spirits of this island. There's a lot of stuff that has gone unsaid for too long.'_ Zoro leaned back in the cloud and looked up at the sky.

_Well, since Chopper won't let me move until he's fully patched me up, I've got time._

'

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Kuina...?: Yes. I can only assume that Kuina, being a spirit existing on the Astral Plane, is highly versatile. Since she can take over Zoro's body when he is conscious, then when he is knocked out should be a breeze. Also, being on the Astral Plane and talking with Calgara and Norland... that just is a cheap substitute for the killer flashback back to their time.

Spirit Information: All that junk Calgara and Norland were spouting off, much of it is true to the story. Once Mordag comes into play, then it starts to get fanon. Besides, I've been beating you guys with the "Gormal is a Shandian" thing, I might as well make it concrete.

You Cut the Eneru-Luffy Battle: Uhh... so? I explain in the next chapter. No crucifixion for me.

This Chapter's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Horgalles is from Sami mythology as their god of thunder. The Sami people are often referred to as Lapp and are scattered about Scandinavia.


	40. Pastafarian Pleasure

I attended my first college class today. I hope classes do not disrupt my writing, or the other way around. Either would not be pleasant. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Shito**_-san and _**Sakura**_-chan.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Skypiea Arc: _Pastafarian Pleasure_

At first, the Angel Islanders and Shandians were wary of one another. Such a thing was understandable, though when it was discovered that Angel Island was completely destroyed by Eneru, their differences were forcibly ironed over. They had to be, for once the members of God's Militia were reunited with their families, the entire truth was able to come out.

Apparently, the entire time Zoro and Kuina were out of commission, certain members of the crew had been very busy. Nami had gone with Eneru and in return required rescuing. Gan Fall, Sanji and Usopp attempted to assist her, but they were easily electrocuted a second time despite their brave efforts. Luffy showed up with Aisa quickly afterwards and after some trial and error fighting, was able to defeat Eneru. Rubber being nature's natural trump against electricity, Luffy was able to use his childhood accident to his advantage. Eneru was defeated, yet escaped onboard a gargantuan ship he made of gold he had found in the ruins. He had held the soldiers, once willing volunteers, captive and forced them to work on collecting Shandian gold to melt down into the material for the ship. Gormal and Conis were able to, thankfully, evacuate everyone from Angel Island, for the very second Eneru was defeated, a giant bolt of lightning surged into the air and crashed into Angel Island, destroying everything that was still left on it. The explanations of the pirates and the militia members were backed by McKinley and the White Berets.

Zoro waited until he could get the attention of both McKinley and of the elder of the Shandian tribe before he allowed Kuina to take over and let her explain what Norland and Calgara had told her in her own words. While standing in the seclusion of a small room in the terra cotta ruins, the two men were shocked at the "near death experience" and took everything Kuina told them to heart. The Shandian elder was shocked that an outsider knew of their mighty warrior of days past and the very mention of his name was enough to put him over the edge.

"You must have great amounts of spiritual energy to have talked with Calgara and Norland!" the wizened old man cheered happily. Zoro's neck cricked to the right and the green-haired swordsman sighed.

"Well, I did have some help," he said almost sheepishly. He scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously. His entire body still stung from the electric shock he had received from Eneru's attack on both him and Kuina.

"Did the spirits tell you anything else?" McKinley asked. The entire time Zoro allowed Kuina to talk, the White Beret was leaning up against the wall, silently taking in every word. He seemed to be much fairer now that Eneru had left, but was still cautious while he held charge of the island whilst Gan Fall was recovering from his injuries.

"They were talking about Calgara's descendants and stuff like that," Zoro said. "A lot of what they did was remember past events and stuff. Talking to them was a little frustrating."

"Well, no matter," the Shandian elder said quickly. "We have to prepare for the celebration!"

"Celebration?" McKinley asked, slightly confused at the other man's words. "Why are we going to celebrate? Our island was just completely destroyed."

"...as was our people's hatred for one another," the elder chuckled. "Come young man, and let us plan the grandest festival this island has ever seen!" He took McKinley's wrist and shuffled out of the room, leaving Zoro alone.

'_That sure was easy to get them to believe us,'_ Kuina said.

_Yeah, well we did help save their people, Zoro said. I guess it as good a reason as any to believe a stranger's words._

'_You have a point.'_

_See?_

"Zoro?"

The swordsman spun around to see Nami standing in the entranceway of the room.

"What do you want?" he replied gruffly.

"Is that really you?" she asked, a look of near-concern spread across her face.

"What do you mean?"

"Am I talking to Zoro right now, or are you still Kuina?" Zoro's eyes went wide and he took a step back for balance.

_Kuina! What did you do!?_

'_Aw, hell! That's right! She saw me! I knew I was forgetting to tell you something...'_

_**SHE SAW YOU CONTROLLING MY BODY!?!?!?!**_

'_I was trying to fight Eneru, alright! What was I supposed to do!?'_

"Who is Kuina?" Nami demanded, standing firmly in the doorway. Zoro gulped.

"No one," he lied.

'_LIAR!'_ Kuina snapped. The ferocity of her spirit forced Zoro to grimace.

"Tell me the truth." Nami narrowed her eyes and jabbed her pointer finger into the swordsman's chest. "Tell me right now or your interest triples."

"Alright!" Zoro sighed, knowing that no matter what, he was not going to win. "Kuina is the name of my rival from back home. What's it to you?"

"You never spoke of her before and when you were fighting Eneru, you got up after being electrocuted and said that your name was Kuina. This behavior is all pretty strange, even for you."

"I carry her sword, alright?" Zoro huffed, holding the Wado Ichimonji firmly between the two of them. "She died years ago and her spirit is now inside here. I don't know how or why, but ever since Yume poisoned me a few months ago, I've been able to talk with her. She can take over my body. She puts words in my mouth, thoughts in my head and pulls my arms and legs on invisible strings."

"So then how do I know that this is actually you talking and not Kuina?" Nami asked, smiling. She was rather amused, thinking that this was all an elaborate lie concocted by Zoro. The swordsman's head cricked to the left and he broke out into a giggle.

"That's because now I'm talking to you!" Kuina said, forcing Zoro to smile broadly. Her speaking made the swordsman's voice become much lighter and carefree in tone. Zoro's body language even changed, now more animated with each word that was spoken. Nami raised her eyebrow and scoffed.

"Which way's north?"

"Well, I don't know that. I'm about as good at directions as Zoro is. My cousin can find her way though. She's older by a little over half a year, so she was the one always leading the explorations in the woods."

"What does Zoro think of me then?"

"He thinks you're sexy and wants you in bed."

Suddenly, Zoro's head cricked to the right and an angry scowl came on his face. His voice deepened to a low growl.

"Why in the hell did you tell her that!? You traitor! Those were private thoughts never meant to be shared!" His head snapped to the left and Kuina took over again.

"She wanted me to prove that I wasn't just a figment of your imagination. Trust me Zoro, men make up fantasy women all the time. In fact, I would have been a little worried if you didn't fantasize. Robin might have the older woman appeal going for her, but you think that Nami's body is hotter than the Alabastian sun. Admit it. Now that I think about it, I'm fairly sure that you had a little bit of a thing for Vivi-hime too if I remember correctly..."

"Go talk to those new friends of yours if you want to gossip!" Zoro roared once his head jerked to the right and he took control again. His head shook and he scowled.

"Well, that was interesting," Nami said, a cunning smile going across her lips. She paused for a moment before turning on her heel.

"Please, don't tell the others," Zoro half-pleaded, catching the ginger-haired navigator by the elbow. "I don't care if you double my interest twice. Just don't tell anyone about Kuina."

"Not even Sanji-kun?"

"Especially not Dartboard-brow."

"What about Robin? She won't say anything."

"Not a soul."

"Ha, you're funny," Nami said with a light giggle. She jerked her elbow away from Zoro's grasp and smiled understandingly. "Just this once, it's on the house." She sauntered out the doorway with a laugh on her lips. Zoro followed until he was just barely standing outside and watched her as she walked over towards where Conis and Laki were taking care of Wiper's wounds.

'_Why are you blushing?'_ Kuina giggled.

_Shut up. You did enough damage today._

'_Are you sure?'_

_Yes._

Zoro glanced downwards and saw the giant gathering of people below. Without anywhere else to turn to, the mass of survivors from Angel Island and the Shandian camp had decided to temporarily live in the large amphitheatre that Robin had found. The people were all milling about, searching for things they could use for the giant feast that the Shandian elder had proposed. Shandian and Angel Islander alike assisted one another. It was the living image Calgara and Norland had wanted for the island.

"Oi, poofter-marimo," called a voice. Zoro snapped his head up to see Gormal coming from the direction of the room they were holding Wiper in.

"Oh, it's you," the swordsman scoffed.

"That's no way to treat nakama," Gormal retorted.

"I thought you're staying with us only until you're that sure Maon's gonna be alright with us," Zoro reminded.

"Ah, at the rate the bloke's going, I'm gonna have to stay with you lot for a long time to come. He just now woke up."

"Good."

"You haven't been yourself." Gormal scowled indignantly and stared at Zoro. "You're not the type to just start handing over information at the drop of a hat. Someone put you up to this entire possessed-by-a-spirit thing, didn't they? Nami just told me all about it a few moments ago."

"Well, it's a bit more complicated than that."

"Sure it is." Gormal paused when he caught the far-off, annoyed expression on the swordsman's face. "How much is Nami paying you then?"

"Not a thing," Zoro replied, glaring at Gormal.

'_Are we going to tell him?'_ Kuina asked cautiously.

_Do you really want to?_ Zoro asked, his face twitching slightly.

'_Yeah. It's his family we're talking about. I wouldn't want to keep anyone from their family, ever.'_

"I know why everyone thinks you're a Shandian," Zoro said quietly, sitting down so that he looked over the crowd below. In the distance, he could faintly hear the squawk of some chickens and Luffy's bubbly laughter.

"I'm listening," Gormal replied cautiously. Zoro took a deep breath before speaking again.

"You're Wiper's cousin."

"Cousin?" Gormal questioned as he sat down next to Zoro, casting him a wary glance. "If he's my cousin, then how come I've never met the bloke before this little expedition of ours, eh? Why hasn't my auntie talked about him or his family?"

"She ran away from home with two of her step brothers following close behind," Zoro explained. "Calgara explained it. She left with a pirate ship from the Blue Seas. I think that's why Wiper attacked us before when we first got up here."

"This sounds like a grand pack of lies."

"Then go ask Wiper who his grandfather was supposed to marry before she was kidnaped. I'm not lying to you."

"You're really creeping me out here, mate," Gormal said. He was about to go on, but was cut off by Conis's voice.

"Gormal-san!" she shouted from a distance away. Both Gormal and Zoro looked over towards the young blonde woman standing in a doorway. "Wiper-san just woke up and is in need of some more medicine! Could you please find Chopper-san for me?"

"Sure Conis-chan," Gormal replied, standing up and stretching.

"You're never that quick to listen to Nami," Zoro smirked.

"Yeah, well, Nami's a bitch about it," Gormal replied with a laugh. He then walked off and disappeared from sight. A smug smile spread across Zoro's face as he heard a familiar voice in the back of his head.

'_So, do you think he believes us?'_

_Not a chance in Hell._

'_Just as I thought. You two are more alike than you want to admit.'_

_What do you mean Kuina?_

'_Stubborn and headstrong. I doubt that you would believe him if the situations were reversed.'_

…_and your point is…?_

'_Nothing,'_ Kuina sighed. Zoro laughed slightly, for sometimes, he failed to believe himself that Kuina still lived.

**80808080808080808**

The festival that followed was indeed the grandest that the island of Shandora had seen in quite a while. Somehow, the people were able to gather together enough of a food surplus to feed everyone in a grand feast, all the way down to Luffy. The celebration of Eneru's expulsion stretched on for days. There was food, a nightly bonfire and music provided by Maon and a few of the Shandians and Angel Islanders. It was almost like being in paradise.

It was just almost like paradise because Nami still saw the opportunity to plunder what they could. While Luffy was stuck inside the innards of the giant snake, he discovered a large amount of gold. Scratch that. He found an _enormous_ amount of gold. When he told Nami one night during the festival, she decided right then and there that they were going to leave Skypiea with a bang.

"Is that all of it?" Zoro huffed as he dropped three large sacks of gold on the ground. He tried to wipe the snake slime from his hands, but was absolutely covered in it.

"It should be," Luffy said as he came out of the snake's mouth. They had knocked the snake unconscious so that they could go inside without it knowing. "I don't remember seeing any more."

"That's still a pretty good haul!" Nami grinned. She looked over the many sacks of gold that her nakama had pulled out of the snake's insides and clapped her hands in glee.

"Hey, where's Robin-chwan and the shit-traitor?" Sanji asked suddenly.

"Gormal told me he had to talk to Conis really quick," Chopper said. "Robin said she was going to go with him because she wanted to look at the bell one last time to be extra sure about what it says."

"That's right, there was one of them Poneglyph inscriptions on it, wasn't there?" Maon asked. He winced slightly as he picked up two sacks and slung them over his shoulders.

"Oh, shit," Usopp cursed. Everyone glanced in the direction he was staring at and gasped. There was a monstrous white pillar being carried towards them by the Shandians and Angel Islanders.

"We're found out!" Nami screeched. "RUN!" The looting pirates turned on their heels and began running quickly to the spot where they had docked the _Merry_.

"Oh, my," Robin said as she, Gormal and Conis walked up next to the people supporting the pillar. "I am guessing that they are misunderstanding the gesture."

"I told you draping it in a cloth would make it too much like a cannon!" McKinley snapped at Kamakiri. The Shandian warrior just shrugged and the people all uniformly placed the object down.

"Hey, we found a solid gold pillar after all," the warrior explained. "I thought we'd make it more of a surprise."

"Robin, I think we have to go and catch up to the rest of the crew before we all get left behind," Gormal smirked. He took a step and Conis stopped him by touching his arm.

"You've been such a huge help," she said morosely. "You're just going to leave?"

"I have to," Gormal explained. "I promise on my captain's grave though I will try to return here one day soon."

"I have your word as a man then?"

"No, even better. You have my word as a pirate." Gormal gave Conis a little smile and sprinted off after Robin. The two of them were only just able to catch the _Merry_ as the rest of the crew shoved off.

"Damn, we were almost gone too," Sanji laughed as Gormal rode up to the deck on the anchor rope.

"If you left without me, you would have been without Robin as well," the deck hand replied as he watched and made sure that the woman in question made it up to the deck. He then began to help the rest of the crew prepare the ship to leave quickly. They were just out of range when the Skypiean citizens reached the shore. Nami ran to the stern of the ship and shouted over the white waves.

"Sorry we have to leave like this! It's better this way!" She nodded satisfactorily as the Merry put more and more space between the Mugiwara Kaizokudan and the shore.

"Oi, Nami," Maon piped up.

"What is it?"

"How are we going to get down?"

A round of colorful expletives were shot off amongst the crew members. That was the one part of the plan that had yet to be decided.

"Well, remember that the knight guy said there were other islands up here? We can go to one of them and ask how to get down!" Luffy suggested.

"Too risky," Nami said.

"Holy shit!" Sanji exclaimed. Large tentacles were wrapping themselves around the _Merry Go_, unmoving despite how much the pirates proceeded to attack it.

"Nami! I see the edge of the cloud!" Chopper panicked.

"What are we going to do?" squeaked Usopp.

"I don't know!" the navigator cried. As the edge crept closer, everyone found something solid to hold on to.

The ship sailed off the edge of the cloud and jerked. Everyone opened their eyes to find that they were not falling into impending doom. Rather, the octopus the tentacles belonged to were acting as a balloon. They were floating down softly, not careening to their deaths.

The Mugiwara Kaizokudan sighed a breath of relief and cheered once the _Merry_ made contact with the water.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Explanations: Yeah, there, happy? I sort of want the story more centralized on Zoro, not everyone else, although everyone else is important too.

Is Nami Convinced?: Well, you'll have to stay tuned to find out!

Is Gormal Convinced?: Maybe. I doubt he could care less.

Is The Transition Alright?: Yeah, I know it sucks.

This Chapter's Deity: In accordance to wikipedia, Pastafarianism is a mock cult celebrating the existence of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I'm sick of thunder gods. I'd rather be spiritually touched by His Noodley Appendage. -chuckles- That's just so weird, it's great. Well, I think it's weird, but that's just me.


	41. Train Man

Seaweed is cool! Seaweed is fun! It makes its food with the rays of the sun! No chemosynthesis here! Nyyaaa! -dances- I feel sassy and I have no idea as to why! I think it might be the energy soda. I do not own _One Piece_! Peoples who rock out loud because they reviewed are _**Sakura**_-chan and _**Butterfly**_-san! Reviews equals love!

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Water Seven Arc: _Train Man_

Once the crew landed back in the Grand Line, it took everyone a few days to get used to the air once again, keeping the ship doctor busy. Maon was seasick for about three days, Usopp kept on fainting, Robin had a few spells of lightheadedness and Sanji kept on having headaches. A full week had to pass before the crew was back to normal and used to the thicker air of sea level. This gave Nami time to fully assess their "earnings" and compile every speck of gold they had gained in Skypiea.

"All this is probably worth something close to two and a half million berri, three million if we get lucky," Nami said as she scanned over the gold. She had laid it all out on the galley table and watched as the rest of the crew marveled over their haul.

"A bit of honest pirating and we get all this!" Maon squealed. "I think this is beyond exciting!" Gormal stood just behind the redheaded man, inspecting the situation silently.

"Don't hurt yourself," Zoro warned as he too allowed his eyes to examine their findings. Even he had to admit that there was an impressive spread before them.

"So, then what are we going to do with all this, Nami-san?" Sanji asked from over in the cooking section of the galley. He brought over two plates of fresh-baked cookies and began passing one around the table while he set the other in front of Luffy.

"We're going to cash all this stuff in, of course," Nami said, as if it was the most obvious solution in the world.

"Hey, I thought I loaded in here some jewelry," Usopp piped up, pointing to the pile of chains and baubles at the end of the table. "Are you holding out on us, Nami?"

"You must have been seeing things, Sniper-san," Robin said with a half a grin. "It was dark in the snake, so I heard." In all actuality, Robin and Nami had gone through the jewelry already and taken a few choice pieces, just in case. They had sworn one another to secrecy, being that they knew the guys would be angry to discover that the entire haul was not being pawned.

"Hey Luffy!" Chopper said merrily as he skipped into the galley. "A bird came with a message for you and Robin!" He waved the envelope before his captain's face, the paper nearly being taken as a mistaken cookie.

"Hey, Nami," Zoro asked, furrowing his brows. He was staring at the pile of jewelry that Usopp had been inspecting and picked up a fine golden chain that happened to be attached to a band of the same material. "Where's you get this?"

"You should know," the ginger-haired navigator sighed. "I found it last night. You were probably half asleep when you came out of the bathroom, so I doubt you'd remember crashing into me in the hall. That fell out of your pocket. You were stealing from our earnings, weren't you?"

"No! I've had this!" Zoro snapped defensively. His head snapped sharply to the left before focusing on Nami again. His eyes became piercing and his expression of stone. "Do you really think I would steal any of your _precious valuables_? Am I really that low of a being in your eyes?"

"Well, considering how unstable you've been…" Nami hissed. She was slowly making her way over to Zoro when the two were interrupted by Luffy and Robin gasping. The rest of the crew glanced over towards the captain and archaeologist, who were staring at the letter Chopper had brought them in complete shock.

"Wha…?" Luffy barely squeaked, dropping the piece of paper on the half-eaten plate of cookies and backed away cautiously. Robin had no words. She was sweating profusely, horrified beyond belief.

"What's the matter?" Usopp asked. He picked up the piece of paper and began to read it over, the tone of his voice quivering through every word. " _'Mugiwara, I know you now have that demon Nico Robin in your crew. Do the right thing and get rid of her. You can even turn her in to a Marine base and if you show them this letter, they will allow you to walk free. The fate of Baroque Works was the fate of every other one of her previous organizations: complete annihilation. Both your grandfather and I suggest it for your crew's well being. It's a shame you became what you are. May we never have the need to meet…'_ What's going on here?"

"Grandfather?" Maon asked, looking over Usopp's shoulder at the piece of paper. "I never knew you had family."

"He's got a brother too," Nami mentioned, "but why are you two so afraid?"

"Chopper!" Robin barked. Everyone's attention became rapt, since the emotional outburst was so unnatural for her. "Did the bird say who it was from?"

"Yeah, some guy riding a bicycle on the ocean. Is that even possible?" The reindeer's gaze became unfocused with thought as Robin stared at him out of fright.

"Who is this guy, Robin-chan!?" Sanji asked vigorously, rolling up his shirtsleeves. "I'll take care of him for you!"

"No, you can't go after him," she said quietly. "He is an admiral."

"Admiral? There's only three of that sort in the entire military!" Maon said. "Why would an admiral be after you?"

"That is none of your concern," Robin replied. There was a certain sharpness to her voice that seemed to slice through her nakama's souls when she spoke. She snatched the letter from Usopp and silently stormed out of the room.

"That was strange," Zoro said, after he cricked his head to the right. "What do you think is the matter?"

"It's a friend of my grandfather," Luffy said finally. "I don't know how he found us, or what business he has with Robin, but the fact that he found us is probably the worst part about it." The straw-hatted teen stood up from his seat and immediately the galley jerked violently. Everyone was knocked to the floor, different sorts of treasure from the table sliding off and toppling onto the pirates.

"What in the hell!?" Gormal cursed, standing warily on his feet, ready for another shock to go through the floorboards below him. The pirates rushed out of the galley and found that the ship had come to a complete stand-still. Robin had fallen down on the deck from the sudden jerk and was just then standing up.

"Why have we stopped?" she asked as the others appeared.

"I have no idea," Nami replied. She looked over the side of the ship and scratched her head. "There's no reef, no shoal, no anything."

"I think I see something in the water over there!" Maon shouted. He pointed off the ship's starboard side and squinted at the far-off object.

"What is it?" Usopp asked, leaning his head to the side. "It sort of looks like a frog…"

"I'm thinking a kappa."

"No, a frog."

"Why would a ruddy frog be swimming the way it is? I swear, it's a kappa!"

"What are you two talking about? There's nothing there," Sanji scoffed, taking a drag on his cigarette instead of kicking Usopp and Maon in the temple.

"Just hang on," Maon said. "It's coming."

Sure enough, after a few minutes, the rest of the crew saw something splashing about in the glinting water. The object was coming towards them at a marvelous speed, faster than any ship they had ever seen. It was, indeed, a frog, though the creature was swimming with a freestyle stroke. It had everyone puzzled, particularly when it stood on the water next to the ship.

"What is that thing doing!?" Chopper panicked, watching as the large frog stepped right up to the hold of the ship. It put its hands on the ship and after a mighty "gero", the _Merry Go_, slid away, gliding effortlessly in the water.

"The kappa saved us?" Maon asked, scratching his head curiously.

"That's a frog, you idiot," Gormal groaned, punching his nakama lightly on the shoulder.

"Tch," Zoro hissed, wrenching his eyes shut and slamming his hands over his ears. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

"Zoro? What's wrong?" Luffy asked. The swordsman's eyes snapped open and he ran over to the railing.

"Hold onto something solid!" he ordered. Everyone stared at him for a moment and after seeing that Luffy had listened, followed the orders themselves.

Suddenly, a loud whistling sound cut through the air, disturbing the peaceful calm of the sea. The Mugiwara Kaizokudan looked all around, trying to find the source of the noise.

"Hey! You might want to get away from here!" Nami shouted over the side of the ship at the frog, who was still standing on the water. "Whatever it is that's coming, it sounds like something big!"

"He says that he knows," Chopper said after the frog let out a series of guttural noises himself. "I think he wants to fight whatever it…!"

Then, another whistle cut off the young doctor's words. A strange sound then ceaselessly followed, quick and monotonous. Another whistle sounded and the pirates saw the creator of the sound.

It was a railroad train, riding on tracks just barely submerged in the water.

Now, not a single member of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan knew what a railroad train was. Instead of recognizing the large metal contraption, their eyes all went wide with surprise and fright. The train left a manageable wake and disappeared before the pirates could even realize fully what had happened.

"What was that?" Zoro snarled, staring in the direction the train had disappeared to.

"I don't know, but I think it hit the kappa," Maon said, pointing to the spot where the large frog had been standing.

"That was no kappa!" Usopp lectured. He sighed when he saw that the redheaded man appeared to have no interest in changing his mind.

"I don't care if it hit a kappa or not!" Luffy said, his eyes sparkling with delight. "That thing was awesome!"

"Not you too…"

"Hey, guys! I want to follow that thing!" Nami ordered.

"Really?" Luffy asked.

"Really," Nami sighed. Luffy went up and hugged her before happily going off to play with the rigging.

"…but Nami-san, why do we want to go in the direction of that beast?" Sanji asked.

"Yeah, it makes no sense," Gormal agreed. "That thing was dreadful. Why are we going after it?"

"People," the navigator answered simply. She looked around and saw that her explanation failed to suffice for a number of the male pirates. She took a deep breath and begun to elaborate. "I know that none of you idiots have noticed, but the Log Pose has been acting a bit screwy. It thinks it locks onto an island, but then changes its mind and begins to spin wildly about five minutes later. I've been able to hold a bearing for an hour at the most. If we follow that… thing… then we should be able to find people. It may have been a big, stupid-looking, ugly thing, but it's made of metal and people make things out of metal." Nami saw that the lights were beginning to turn on in her nakama's brains.

"Hey, maybe we can find someone to fix _Merry_ up real good," Usopp thought out loud.

"Fixing _Merry! _That would be great!" Chopper exclaimed. "Can we?"

"I'm sure the money we pawn from the gold we stole should cover it, plus some," Nami mused. A grin appeared on her face before she snapped back to reality. "Come on! What are you all standing around for! We need to go and get the ship fixed!"

**80808080808080808**

"So, what is it?" Gormal asked. His head was cocked to the side as he inspected the floating house before the _Merry Go_. The crew had done exactly what Nami had said and followed the tracks in the water, but they ran into a small house that was sitting right next to the trestles.

"Shit-traitor, it's an island," Sanji scoffed, taking a drag of the cigarette in his mouth.

"It's kind of small though," Chopper squeaked. "Are you sure Sanji?"

"Positive. I mean, look at it."

"It's not an island," Nami said blandly. She inspected the Log Pose on her wrist and shook her head. "The Pose is still going haywire. We should get a defined lock if we're this close to an island."

"Hello! Is anyone home!?" Luffy called. He stretched himself over to the small house and landed on the porch. "Oi! Is anyone here!?"

"Pirates!" squeaked a shrill voice. Luffy glanced around to see that the voice appeared to have no face to accompany it. "Go away, pirates! We don't want you!"

"Chimney, don't be rude!" scolded another voice, much lower and gruffer than the first. By this time, the rest of the crew had made their way down to the covered porch, just as confused as Luffy.

"E-Excuse me," Maon gulped. "…but where are we?"

"Nga! Don't tell me you are actually trying to sail around here with a Log Pose at this time of year!" the coarse second voice laughed. A door in the wall opened and out came an older, rotund woman with curly blonde hair that was graying profusely. Her face was frozen in a perpetual grin and she held a bottle of alcohol in her hand.

"Who are you?" Nami asked.

"My name is Kokoro and I am the manager of this train depot," the woman said. She deftly swatted something behind her and let out another chuckle. "Nga, nga, come on out and apologize to these people."

"…but they're pirates," the first voice squeaked again. Kokoro hit the object behind her once again and there was a high-pitched "Ouch" to be heard. A small girl, no older than nine, reluctantly walked out from behind Kokoro, rubbing her head. She was blonde as Kokoro was, except without the grey. She had large blue eyes that stared at the Mugiwara Kaizokudan out of fright. Hopping along behind her was a cat that quite resembled a rabbit that seemed just as wary of the pirates.

"Just because they're pirates does not mean that they're gonna kill us," Kokoro scolded, her smile never leaving her face. She then turned to Luffy and took a drink from her bottle. "I apologize for my granddaughter Chimney. She is not used to pirates as something we can accept with open arms."

"Then why receive us?" Gormal asked suspiciously.

"Unlike you youngsters, I remember when pirates were not that bad of a thing to have around and know how to pick the good ones from the bunch," Kokoro scoffed. "Having a pirate crew docked in your harbor often meant plenty of business with them and sometimes they would offer protection. Things just haven't been the same since Roger died."

"I think you're too drunk to say such things," Chimney said, folding her arms and rolling her eyes.

"Hey, can you tell us where we're going?" Usopp asked, suddenly remembering why they were stopped there to begin with. "Nami says the Log Pose is going nuts."

"If you've been following the tracks, then you're headed off towards Water Seven," Kokoro explained. "My best guess is that normally the Log Pose would have locked onto the island a long time ago, but the Poses always go haywire this time of year."

"Tracks?" Chopper questioned. "You mean those metal things in the water?"

"Ngagagaga! Of course!" Kokoro laughed. "Those are what makes the Sea Train possible!"

"Sea Train?" Zoro muttered.

"Then you don't know, do you?" Chimney said, looking at the pirates in amazement. "You really don't know about Water Seven or its business or the most famous shipwright to ever come from there!"

"Shipwright?" Luffy's eyes lit up in excitement. "You think we can get him to fix the _Merry_ _Go_?"

"Ah, I wish he could," Kokoro sighed, taking another sip of her drink.

"Too old?" Maon asked.

"Nope." The old woman sighed and despite the smile, spoke in a morose tone. "He's worse than dead. He's in Impel Down."

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Kappa: a mythological creature in Japanese folk lore that was a water sprite that led wayward travelers to their watery graves (or Sha Gojyo, whichever you prefer). Why do I have this worked in? -shrugs- Dunno. I probably thought it was funny or something like that.

What Really Should Have Happened: I thought about being close to canon, then I decided that I was going to skip all of Davy Back Fight because I did not see the point in it. Basically, what happens in the Davy Back Fight arc is that at the end, the crew meet an admiral named Aokiji who warns them about being Robin's nakama. I felt like the rest of the arc was an excuse for the entire meeting with Aokiji to begin with, despite being fun during the actual Davy Back Fight itself. Being that the Mugiwara Kaizokudan needs to be warned about being nakama with Robin, I sort of made up for it with the whole letter thing. My brother tells me that nothing can replace the greatness that is Afro-Luffy, and I agree. I just want to get to Water Seven, like, now. I figure that since I'm spoiling most of the latter part of the series already, if you really want to know, you can wait for the legal translations or fill in the blanks yourselves. Plus, for the record, I actually did attempt to start the Davy Back Fight arc. I've got... a page and a half... from the middle of the arc. There was no way it could have done anything but sit there and then there would have been issues... serious issues... more like a subscription.

Title: New arc, new title theme! "_Train Man_" is a Japanese film (that I have yet to see and probably should see) about an otaku man who falls in love with a woman while riding the train and defends her from being harassed. It sounds, dare I say it, adorable. I used it because of, well, _Puffing Tom_.

A Note: I have gone and messed around with the previous chapters, mostly in the first arc. I fixed things, like Robin's name and the dividing lines. If there is anything in particular that you guys could possibly remember as an error/mis-type/whatever, please let me know. Thanks. None of the changes so far though, require re-reading. It's just basic stuff.


	42. The Meaning of Life

Watch as my geek level rises! Oh, will it ever end? Hm, that can be asked about many things these days, including this story. -shrugs- Whatever. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Sakura-**_chan. I do not own _One Piece_.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Water Seven Arc: _The Meaning of Life_

"Impel Down…?" Luffy asked, cocking his head to the right in confusion. "What's that?"

"Don't you know?" Kokoro asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. The rest of the crew was amazed at not only their captain's light-hearted ignorance, but Kokoro's near frozen facial features as well. Actually, their idiot captain was not all that much of a surprise, but the aging station manager was.

"Forgive Luffy," Nami sighed. "Sometimes we don't know why he's even here. The rest of us know and that's good enough."

"Then what's Impel Down? It sounds scary," Luffy said. His eyes sparkled with the glint of adventure, ensuing that he was anything but afraid.

"It's basically Pirate Jail," Gormal said, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah," Usopp agreed. "I escaped from there one time…"

"You did not, you lying twit!" Sanji scolded, giving the sniper a dull smack on the back of his head. "If any pirate gets captured and sent to Impel Down, they're never coming out again!"

"Pirate Jail?" Chopper asked. His eyes were wide with excitement.

"Don't worry yourself over it," Kokoro sighed, waving her hand casually. "The best shipwright left an apprentice and that man is now the best in the entire world. You should be able to go to him instead."

"…but why did the one get sent to Impel Down?" Maon questioned.

"He committed a crime against the World Government and that's all you need to know," Kokoro snapped. She then grunted and made a scoffing noise in her throat. "You lot better get going before the tides become unfavorable."

"Yes ma'am," the pirates all seemed to mutter at once. Reluctantly, they began to walk over towards the _Merry Go_.

"Oh, nga, if you see a large frog covered in scars," Kokoro piped up, "tell him to come home."

"A large frog? We saw a large frog!" Luffy said.

"Yeah! The kappa! He got hit by that awful, belching metal ship!" Maon said, his voice rather whiny.

"You're such an idiot," Usopp groaned.

"Oh, I knew it," Kokoro sighed. "That stubborn creature. He'll be fine. Don't worry about him. I was just hoping that he might have just been shoved to the side this time around. He always fights the Sea Train."

"That's strange behavior for a frog," Zoro said. "Why does he do that?"

"Personal reasons," Kokoro shrugged. "Just when you see Iceburg of the Galley La Company, please give him this letter for me. If you keep on going straight along the tracks, you should be able to reach Water Seven in a couple of hours." She scribbled a message on a piece of scrap paper from her pocket and handed it over to Nami.

"Okay then," the navigator said, waving politely as the pirates made their way to their ship. As soon as they were all aboard, they quickly left the little floating station, making their way towards the next island.

_**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -**_

"I say that woman was crazy," Sanji said as he brought out some food from the galley. It had been a few hours since leaving Kokoro behind at the station and the Mugiwara Kaizokudan were now all eating their lunch on the deck in the false mikan grove. "She got really weird at one point, didn't she?"

"I thought so," Zoro said, barbarically ripping off a chunk of some bread.

"Well, you're crazy to begin with, so we'll just call that recognizing your own kind," Gormal said coldly. He looked out of the corners of his eyes at the enraged Zoro, who was ready to slit his throat.

"Boys, behave," Nami snapped, putting a stop to the impending fight.

"I thought she was a little weird, but the nice kind of weird," Luffy said through his own food.

"…but she said that we can get the _Merry_ fixed in this Water Seven place," Usopp mentioned. "That's the important part."

"You really care about this ship, don't you?" Maon asked.

"Of course I do! This was a gift from the most beautiful woman in my village! It would be a shame if she could not see it after all the adventures we've had in it!"

"Are we going to visit her one day?" Chopper asked.

"Yeah," Usopp laughed. "At least, I want to go and visit her again. It could be years before I do that though." He closed his eyes and smiled, his memories of his mock crew, Kaya and the villagers coming back to him easily.

"Well, whether this ship came from a beautiful angel or not, I don't think we should skimp out when rebuilding this thing," Gormal said, not buying Usopp's story for a moment. He took another bite of sandwich and unconsciously spat crumbs as he talked. "We should get the ship built extra tough this time, so that we don't have to get it fixed so often."

"What worries me is if the ship can be fixed at all," Zoro said. "A ship doesn't heal like a human does. Chopper just fixes us up and it's all better. The _Merry_ can't do that."

"Hopefully we will not have to think about that Swordsman-san," Robin replied. Usopp snapped out of his reverie and looked shocked.

"Scrap the _Merry_!? You were there when Kaya gave this to us! We can't just scrap the _Merry_ like it's any old ship!"

"Calm down Usopp!" Maon pleaded. He could see the sniper's expression grow a pained sort of stony, something that was unbecoming of a carefree sort of guy, let alone someone who was supposed to have been eating lunch.

"Just leave it alone," Nami ordered. "If you keep on arguing, you're only going to say something you'll regret later. Besides, Luffy's gonna eat your lunch."

"Damn it!" the captain cursed as he snapped his hand back towards his own plate. His hand had been creeping up towards Usopp's plate of food since Usopp began to talk about Kaya. The sniper lifted his plate up off the wooden planks and began shoveling food into his mouth without regard to manners.

"We should really concentrate on getting to this Water Seven place as quickly as possible," Gormal muttered, shoving the rest of his sandwich in his mouth and quickly chewing it up. "The sooner the better after all, since we don't know when that monstrosity is going to come back."

"Yeah, I agree with Gormal," Nami said. "We are making good time though and Kokoro said that we should reach Water Seven soon anyways."

"Speaking of…" Zoro trailed off. He pointed towards the distance and sure enough, on the horizon, there was something protruding out of the water, quite tall and island-shaped. "I think we made it."

"So the old woman was right," Robin said, gazing out at the approaching island. As the ship came closer, the Mugiwara Kaizokudan could make out the details of the city clearer. The architecture was winding and twisted all around. The city failed to take up the entire island, leaving a large field on one end and allowing the tall spires of the city to take up the other end. The pirates cautiously brought their ship up to the far shore of the island and tied it up to a large rock.

"Luffy! Usopp! Maon!" Nami snapped as soon as she was sure that the ship was securely anchored in place. The three men in question immediately stood in front of Nami, attention as rapt as humanly possible… which was not very rapt in Luffy's case... or Maon's... or, well, there was simply a lack of attention period.

"What is it Nami?" Maon asked.

"I have designated you three to come with me in order to go and pawn the gold we got in Skypiea," the navigator said resolutely. "Now go on and get the stuff from the galley."

"Why does it have to be us?" Usopp asked.

"Yeah!" Luffy chimed in. "I don't want to go pawn gold! I want to have some fun in town!"

"Pawning gold is fun," Nami said, her eyes changing to berri signs for a split second. "Besides, Sanji needs to get food, Chopper medical supplies, I don't want to make Robin work and I don't trust Gormal and Zoro for a single second."

"That's unfair," the deck hand growled sourly. He glared at Nami, who in turn glared back with a mocking sort of grimace.

"Well, I just don't trust you and Mr. Split Personality over there, alright?" Nami said with a sly smile, motioning over towards where Zoro had taken the liberty of a nap. "This is a large amount of gold, only suitable for only the right kind of workers to handle."

"Yeah, the Keystone Cops," Gormal muttered as Usopp and Luffy both fell out of the galley door, Maon immediately tripping behind them. "I swear, you're exploiting them for their honesty."

"Well, rather exploit their honesty than any other part of them," Nami replied, walking over towards the mess of giggly pirate and slinging a bag over her own shoulder. "Come on guys, let's blow this place. We'll get to the shipyard after we pawn this stuff, so hurry up."

"Yes Nami!" Usopp, Luffy and Maon all cheered in unison. The three knew what was going on, but would rather cooperate and get _Merry_ fixed as soon as possible than fight with Nami.

Fighting with did Nami hurt something fierce, after all.

**80808080808080808**

"This place is great!" Maon gasped, his eyes wide at the surrounding city. Tall, sheer buildings swept upwards into the sky, creating manmade canyons and valley that were pleasant and cheerful in nature. There were no streets, instead there being canals winding around the various structures and a fairly wide sidewalk curved close to the buildings as compensation. High bridges connected each of the different sidewalks to one another. Strange seahorse-type animals were floundering about in the water, some being ridden bareback, others pulling along carts with people and goods in them. People wandered all around in the bustling city, some making their daily business rounds and others dressed up in garish masks and robes as in preparation for a celebration.

"Wow…" Usopp said, looking upwards at the tall buildings. "Everything is so amazing here! I wonder if it is like this all the time!?"

"Maybe," Nami said, equally taken aback. She noticed that her captain had not made his own comment and began to look around for wherever he had wandered off to. Sure enough, he had found a pen of the seahorse creatures and was petting one of them, grinning widely.

"So, you like the yagara bulls?" asked a voice. Luffy's ears perked up and he found that an older man was standing next to him.

"Yagara?" Luffy asked. He scratched his head, wondering what the man was talking about.

"Yes, those," the man said, pointing at the seahorse creature. "Don't you know what a yagara bull is?"

"Nope," Luffy admitted plainly, shaking his head briskly.

"Excuse us," Nami said, walking over and taking care of the situation immediately. "We're from out of town do you think that you could direct us to a pawn shop or money exchange house?"

"Oh! Did you get here on a ship?" the man chuckled as he watched the other three pirates join their captain. "I don't think that the sea train would have allowed all those bulging sacks, does it now?"

"We followed the tracks in from open water, if that's what you mean," Maon said. "Could you please answer our question?"

"Oh, there is no pawn shop within a couple kilometers of here with enough resources for what you have," the man said. "You'll have to rent some yagara bulls and go into the business district."

"Rent yagara bulls? Those are the things pulling the carts in the water, right?" Usopp asked, pointing at the canal.

"Of course!" the man said. "I rent them, as they are a major mode of transportation here in Water Seven. They're smart too; know where everything is in the town. All you got to do is tell 'em where you got to go. I'll rent a pair for you cheap, since you decided to come to town at this time of year by ship."

"Thank you," Nami smiled sweetly, happy with their discounted rate. Once the yagara bulls were in the canal and waiting for them with their floating carts, she began instructing her nakama on how to load the sacks of gold in. Once they were able to pack their cargo, Maon and Luffy hopped into one cart while Usopp and Nami climbed into the other.

"Good luck," the man said before they took off. He almost was unable to say goodbye to the pirates, as Nami gave the orders to the yagara bulls almost immediately. They took off with such speed that it was almost impossible to tell exactly where they were going.

"How do you slow these things down!?" Usopp cried, clutching onto his floating cart for dear life.

"Whoa!" Maon shouted. The yagara bulls failed to yield.

"Hey! I see some meat!" Luffy cheered. The yagara bulls immediately froze in their paths, sniffing the air excitedly. There was a cart of meat sitting nearby, the wares all piping hot and steaming temptingly.

"Oh, fine," Nami sighed. "I'll get you some if that'll help with the yagara bulls." She grumbled as she pulled out some money and gave it to the vendor. Immediately afterwards, not only did the bulls each grab a piece of meat, Luffy and Maon did as well.

"Mm! So tender! So tasty!" Luffy moaned happily. Maon simply made pleased noises that seemed to coordinate perfectly with the yagara bulls'. Nami rolled her eyes and growled as Usopp then began bugging her for some money for his own meat.

"Come on you guys! Get serious for a moment!" she snapped. Nami was about to go on when suddenly, they heard a large commotion erupt from just beyond the corner.

"What's that?" Maon asked. The others shrugged and forgot about the meat instantly, directing the yagara bulls to follow the noise.

Sure enough, when the four pirates turned the corner, they could see that there was a huge fight taking place on a large strip of sidewalk. The brawl was very one-sided and the crowd that had enveloped the fight were all cheering on the winning side. The victors seemed to have barely a scratch on them, amazing the pirates.

"You four don't look like you're from around here," chuckled a voice. There was a young couple sitting in a yagara bull carriage next to Nami and Usopp's cart.

"Yeah, how could you tell?" Nami asked.

"You guys seem so surprised by the Galley La shipwrights," the man smiled. "All they did was snuff out some pirates that were causing trouble with not wanting to pay for the repairs to their ship. We normally don't mind pirates around here, but if they act out of line, the Galley La shipwrights usually take care of them real quick."

"You mean those are the shipwrights of this town?" Luffy asked, grinning excitedly.

"Of course," the woman giggled. "You're lucky to see them all so far away from their headquarters in the center of town. I bet those pirates were running pretty fast to get this far."

"That's great!" Luffy replied. He turned towards Nami and let out a slight laugh. "Let's get that stuff traded so we can go meet these guys!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

I don't really have any notes this chapter. Everything's pretty straight forward. All I need to explain really, is the title. It's a Monty Python film and I am not sure if I would recommend it. Just don't watch it around people... or in the dark... or if you get offended easily. Just trust me on this one, 'kay? Monty Python is not for the weak-minded/constitutioned, small children, those with no sense of humor, members of the clergy and those who actually qualified to participate in the "Upperclass Twit of the Year" competition. Well, it is British male humor from the seventies that I have it tie in with another geek in-joke and... FORTY-TWO!


	43. A Bridge Too Far

Psst... Heroes is coming back. Who else is going to become a hapless idiot come Monday? I know I'll be! Ha-cha-cha! -double point- I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Sakura**_-chan, _**Dream**_-san and _**Butterfly**_-san. Have you ever listened to a half-empty soda can? Try it sometime.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Water Seven Arc:_ A Bridge Too Far_

Pawning the Skypiean gold off did not take much time. In fact, once the venture got underway, the process seemed to fly by. Once they had found the office, Nami had gone into the negotiation room alone, leaving Usopp, Luffy and Maon outside in the hall. Five minutes later, she sauntered out, a content smirk upon her face and three large briefcases trailing behind her on some rope. She ordered the three men to help her by carrying the bags and they all headed off towards the center of town together.

"So, how much were you able to get for our honest pirating?" Maon asked cheerily as they docked the yagara bulls close to where Galley La was.

"Stop calling it that for one, because it's really getting on my nerves. Second, they wanted to give me about a million berri for the entire load," Nami sighed, petting one of the yagara bulls lazily.

"Knowing you, that wasn't enough, hm?" Usopp muttered, dragging the suitcase assigned to him out of the cart.

"You're a smart one," Nami smiled. She winked saucily and held up three fingers. "They gave me a hundred million _per case_."

"Wow! We've got three hundred million berri!?" Luffy shouted happily. Nami decked her captain on the back of the head in retaliation.

"Yeah, now shut up will you!?" she snapped. "I don't want the whole city to know how much we've got!"

"Oh, sorry," Luffy giggled, putting his hand over his mouth to hide his large smile. Maon shoved Luffy's shoulder teasingly and then the two tumbled out of the cart and onto the sidewalk. Nami sighed, knowing that their time at the shipyards was most likely going to go far from quick.

**80808080808080808**

Zoro sighed heavily and leaned his back against the ship's railing. Everything on the ship was quiet. After Nami had taken Maon, Luffy and Usopp out with the gold, Robin and Chopper wandered off together in search of some more medicinal supplies and books, while Sanji had dragged away Gormal by the ear in hope of finding where the market district was located. Everyone else had left for Water Seven, laving the green-haired swordsman nearly alone.

'_So, do you think they'll be able to find that guy to fix the ship?_' Kuina asked cheerily. Zoro scoffed and closed his eyes. Immediately, he saw the adult form of his friend, sitting down at the beautiful restaurant by the picturesque shoreline. He was there as well, relaxed and at ease as if they belonged there.

"Maybe," he answered. "That old broad did seem a bit strange though."

"Just say she was sloshed. You know it, I know it, the rest of the crew knows it... hell, even that little brat knew it."

"Yeah, but you don't have to put it like that..." Zoro began. There was a loud clanging noise that cut him off. Zoro snapped open his eyes and hastily stood up.

_What was that!?_ he asked mentally.

'_No clue_,' Kuina answered. A pungent odor then cut through the air, stinging Zoro's nostrils. He turned on his heel to investigate and saw a group of the filthiest-looking bandit-types he had ever seen. Some were short, some were tall, some were round and others were thin. There were about seven in the group overall and they all wore the exact same smug expression on their faces.

"There's only one of them," chortled the one who seemed to be their leader. Zoro just raised his eyebrow, seeing as how the over-confident man standing before him was dressed in metal overalls and fishnet stockings.

'_Umm... ew...?_' Kuina cringed.

_My thoughts exactly._

"Now, hand over control of the ship," the bandit leader sneered merrily. "You're lucky I'm feeling generous today, otherwise I wouldn't let you live."

"Lucky?" Zoro chuckled, drawing two of his swords. "I say more like unlucky you wanted to steal this ship."

"So, you wanna fight, eh?" one of the subordinates laughed. The bandits all drew weapons and charged at Zoro.

'_I swear... men are such idiots_.'

In less than three seconds, all of the bandits had been defeated, Zoro unleashing an attack on the bandits, thus sending them all out to the nearby sea. The green-haired swordsman flopped back down onto the deck and closed his eyes, immediately transporting himself back to the restaurant with Kuina.

"Will there ever be a bandit smart enough to not pick a fight with us?" Kuina sighed, poking at the can of soda that sat in front of her. Zoro picked up his own and took a sip before letting out a chuckle.

"Kuina... that's why they're bandits. If they were a little smarter, they'd be pirates."

**80808080808080808**

"So, how do you propose we get in?" Nami asked, staring at the large door before her, emblazoned with a giant number one in dark red. She, Usopp, Maon and Luffy had just finished climbing a vast amount of stairs and were disheartened once they saw the next imposing barrier in their way.

"Why don't we ring the doorbell?" Luffy asked, craning his neck up to see the top of the door. He and the others put down their suitcases filled with berri as they all stared at the gargantuan door.

"That would be too easy," Usopp scoffed. "Maon, any ideas?"

"We can knock...?" the musician answered nervously. He cringed when he heard the navigator give a disapproving snort.

"May I help you?" asked a voice. The four pirates brought their gaze down to eye-level to find that a young man was standing before them, smiling cheerily. He had a long square nose and reddish-blond hair that sat underneath a white hat that read "Galley La". He wore black pants with a black and red jacket. Slung around his waist was a leather belt filled with all sorts of implements for tinkering and fixing and he was covered in smears of sweat, dirt, oil and axle grease.

"Yes, we were hoping to find someone to fix our ship, as well as someone named Iceburg," Nami said. She hastily took the note from her pocket and handed it to the young man, who promptly examined it.

"I see," he said, nodding slightly as he talked. "Mrs. Kokoro sent a letter of recommendation. That is something that cannot be overlooked or taken lightly... ja..."

"You sound old," Luffy said blankly. Usopp elbowed him sourly.

"Don't say such things," the sniper hissed.

"Oh, no, that is perfectly fine," the man smiled, handing Nami back the note. "I have people saying that more often than you would think."

"Oh, we believe it," Maon and Usopp said in unison. The square-nosed man chuckled and placed the tool belt from his waist on the ground while he began to stretch.

"So you just want your ship to be fixed, ja?" he asked.

"What about Iceburg?" Nami asked.

"We should talk about him later, Miss. Iceburg-san is a very busy man. Not only is he the best shipwright around and President of Galley La, but he is the mayor of Water Seven to boot! Let me take a quick look at your ship and then we will talk about meeting Iceburg-san, ja."

"A quick look at the ship!?" Maon squeaked. "It might take you an entire hour to get there and back!"

"You are mistaken," the man smiled. "Allow me ten minutes. That should cover it. I will be back before you even think about missing me, ja!" With that, he ran towards the side of the cement and jumped off, not even bothering to use the stairs.

"Holy shit!" Usopp gasped. "He must be suicidal!"

"No he isn't. He actually does that quite often," laughed another man's voice. By now, everyone was sick of hearing new voices come at them without warning, but decided to glance over anyways. A man with blue-grey hair dressed in a suit-coat and slacks and a blonde woman in a short skirt and sweater were standing over by where the man from before had laid his tool belt.

"You know him?" Nami asked. The blue-haired man laughed and pet the small mouse he had stored in his jacket's breast pocket.

"Of course I do!" he said. "That is Kaku, the chief mechanic of Galley La's first dock. People like to call him Yamakaze, or 'Mountain Wind', because he gets around by jumping from rooftop to rooftop. At Galley La, we don't hire normal shipwrights you know."

"Sir," the woman interrupted, shifting her eyeglasses. "The investigation is complete."

"Well then?" the man said patiently. The woman gained a glint in her eye as she began to read off of her clipboard.

"They are the _Mugiwara Kaizokudan_, also known as the _Straw Hat Pirates_. Started in the East Blue, their bountied members consist of '_Mugiwara_' Luffy, '_Kaizoku Gari_', or '_Pirate Hunter_', Roronoa Zoro and Nico Robin. Their total bounty is worth two hundred thirty-nine million berri. There are also two men declared by the government to be immune to being sent to Impel Down in their ranks, as well as a former crewmate of a certain '_Arlong_' and another from a seafaring restaurant. The other two are relatively unknown of origin."

"Very good Kalifa!" the blue-grey haired man laughed, clearly amused. The four pirates, however, were shocked.

"They know everything!" Maon gasped, staring wide-eyed at the woman Kalifa. "Even 'bout me and Gormal!"

"This is not good..." Usopp cringed.

"Nma, relax," the man said with a smile. "We just do background checks in order to keep statistics on what kind of people we deal with on a monthly basis. It has nothing to do with whether we will deal with you or not. My name is Iceburg and this little guy right here in my pocket is the mouse I just found. I think I'll call him Tyrannosaurus." He then turned to Kalifa and scrunched up his face in thought. "Please get me a cage and some food for my new pet."

"It is already done, sir," Kalifa answered.

"Excellent," Iceburg nodded.

"That is very flattering, sir, but need I remind you of your schedule today? There is the meeting with the owner of the new glass factory and then the public speech and then the press conference with the mayor of Puchi and there are still some documents in your office that you need to look over and..."

"I don't want to!" Iceburg pouted. Kalifa let out a quick breath and looked away from her clipboard.

"They're all cancelled," she replied.

"Hey, that's not right," Usopp said with a frown.

"Nma, it is one of my privileges as mayor to refuse these things," Iceburg said smugly.

"Well, I don't think that's very good," Luffy said bluntly. "It doesn't make you a model mayor or anything..." He was about to go on, but suddenly, Kalifa charged at him, kicking her foot dangerously close to Luffy's face. Everyone backed away as the woman continued, until she was sure that they were scared.

"Hey, what's the matter with you?" Luffy asked angrily.

"You arrogant brats," Kalifa spat. "How dare you talk to Iceburg-san that way. He is the hero of this city and you should show him some respect.

"Yes, please do not make Kalifa angry, otherwise all Hell breaks loose," Iceburg added. He nodded in self-agreement, trying not to cry at the pain of having most of Kalifa's attack strike him instead of the others.

"Oh, I have a letter for you, Iceburg-san!" Nami piped up, holding out the letter from Kokoro. Iceburg took it and after nodding satisfactorily, ripped up the piece of paper.

"Hold on! Please fix our ship!" Maon pleaded, panicking over the torn paper. "We've got money to pay you!"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Iceburg said casually.

"What do you mean?!" Usopp questioned. "You just tore up our letter of recommendation!"

"She signed it with a lip mark," Iceburg said, sighing heavily. "She knows I don't like that, her being my drinking buddy and all. Besides, I saw Kaku head out to check out the ship. He should be back shortly. Let's wait for him inside the door. In fact, I think I'll even give you a tour of the dock!"

"Alright, let's just get the money then," Usopp said, turning around to get the suitcases that he, Luffy and Maon had been carrying. His eyes grew wide, however, when he saw that there was a group of men all gathered around the suitcases. Little did he know that they were the exact same men that had been bothering Zoro earlier, except this time they all donned a series of bandages wrapped around various parts of their person.

"Shit! We've been spotted!" cursed one. He began to pass the suitcases to his companions and before he was able to toss the third one over, both Usopp and Maon had run over to him and retrieved the case.

"Give us back our hard-earned money!" Usopp demanded, clutching the rescued suitcase close. The men simply ran off towards where the rented yagara bulls were and laughed.

"Thanks for the funds, bro!" the one laughed. Luffy was almost ready to head off after them when the bandits drove the yagara bulls by a bridge. A blond man jumped off the bridge, a bunch of rope flying out from his coat sleeves.

"Rope Action Round Turn!" the man shouted. The ropes wrapped around the bandits and with a sharp tug, sent the men crashing into one another. The bandits were all sent into the river and the man from the bridge dropped gracefully into the yagara bull cart containing the suitcases of money. There was a chorus of incoherent shouting and curses from the bridge, where a gathering of men were crowded around the ledge, staring down at the man in the yagara bull cart.

"Hey, isn't that one of the carpenters here?" Luffy asked. "I saw him fighting earlier today."

"He sure is," Iceburg replied. Usopp sighed a great breath of relief as Maon began to wave his arms around.

"That you so much!" the musician called out. "We almost thought our money was gone for good!" Maon watched as the carpenter on the cart looked down at the two briefcases and smiled. The man then grabbed the yagara bulls reins and took off.

"Ah, hell no!" Usopp whined. "This day is really starting to suck!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

The Bandits: The reaction of Zoro and Kuina to the bandit leader was my sentiments exactly. Fishnet and metal underpants? Erm, ew!

Restaurant: In case you were wondering, this place first appeared in Assassin's Arc. It did not just come out of nowhere. I can't remember when I last mentioned it. It's a real place too. I said that before as well.

Kaku: I love Kaku the Shipwright. He is the shiznit. So, for someone who does not often use such phraseology, that means he is highly important. I think I also failed miserably when I came to writing his speech. Maybe that's because I've got a pretty stiff-sounding vocabulary sometimes. I dunno. I just adore Kaku. ... KAKU! -smiles-

Iceburg and Kalifa: As a pair of "professionals", they are hilarious. I pretty much wrote them straight-up from the fan-translated manga I have. It will be good when I can own these chapters in a tokobon made of paper and binding glue. I want a Tyrannosaurus. I think I'll get a plushie, so as to have no messy cages.

Dude From the Bridge: I love him. Just trust me if you don't know already. I'm so his fangirl. -squeal- I need help or something. Just mentioning him now is odd.

Chapter Title: It's a movie and a book about a battle in WWII where the Allies attempted to push through a section of Occupied Netherlands and failed. I need to... read it... then watch it. READ, PEOPLE! BOOKS ARE YOUR FRIENDS!


	44. Are You Being Served?

Blah. Blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah. Nar. I need sleep... and a kick in the rear to finish writing. I want more Heroes. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Zoro**_-san and _**Sakura**_-chan

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Water Seven Arc: _Are You Being Served?_

"I don't see why I always get stuck doing the shopping with you," Gormal snarled. He glared at Sanji angrily as the chef examined two heads of lettuce, comparing the two meticulously. The deck hand shifted uncomfortably in the rear seat of the yagara bull cart, aware of the group of girls standing on the narrow walkway nearby twittering away at the sight of him and Sanji out grocery shopping together.

"Hey, shut the hell up, shit-traitor," Sanji said, not even looking away from the cabbages for a moment. He ended up taking both cabbages and seemed quite satisfied once he paid the vendor and forced the yagara bull forward. "You know I wouldn't be able to get that Marimo-brain out here with me even if it killed the both of us. Besides, you're on thin ice and have to behave."

"Right," Gormal pouted. He folded his arms akimbo and glared upwards at the gradually darkening sky. Scowling when some more produce was thrown his way by the chef, Gormal tried to forget that he was with Sanji and instead drifted off into memory and thought.

**80808080808080808**

"I wonder what kinds of books are for sale in this city!" Chopper exclaimed as he trotted down the sidewalk next to Robin in full-reindeer form. The archaeologist chuckled slightly and looked down at Chopper. He was quickly glancing around with excitement, attempting to take in as much information about his surroundings as possible.

"I have no idea," Robin sighed wistfully. "It does seem as if there is a festival going on. There are many interesting masks and costumes floating around."

"Robin, since there are so many people dressed up in costume, do you think it would be alright for me to change into my human form?" Chopper asked shyly.

"I don't see why not," Robin replied. Chopper giggled and trotted over behind a nearby vending cart. He emerged in his fur-covered human form, actually blending in with some of the other people wandering around on the walks and in the watery streets. He and Robin walked throughout the city pathways, contently hunting down a bookstore. Finally, Chopper found one and sure that Robin was right behind him, went inside to escape the huge slew of people on the walk, most of whom were in costume.

"Oh, that is an excellent mask," said the old lady behind the counter of the bookstore as the reindeer walked in. Chopper blushed and bowed his head.

"Thank you," he said. "Did you hear that Robin?" He glanced over his shoulder and saw that the archaeologist was not there.

"Were you traveling with someone?" the old woman asked.

"Yeah," Chopper said, scratching his head. "Ah, she probably spotted something interesting in the street. I'm sure she'll wait outside the store for me." Thinking nothing of it, he delved into the different sorts of books that the shop had in stock. Robin knew where he was, right? Nothing to worry about.

**80808080808080808**

"I think I saw Robin-chan!" Sanji exclaimed excitedly. He looked back towards the extremely bored Gormal and dropped his voice into a scolding hiss. "Didn't you see Robin-chan just now!?"

"Ka?" Gormal muttered, coming back to full awareness. He had been studying the sky, trying to gauge how fast the dark clouds were encroaching on the island. He brought his gaze down to Sanji and raised an eyebrow at the blond's irritated expression.

"You weren't paying attention, were you?"

"I was too paying attention," the deck hand shrugged, adjusting the groceries that had been dumped into his lap. "I just wasn't paying attention to whatever the hell you wanted me to pay attention to."

"Well, I thought I just saw Robin-chan," Sanji reiterated, rather irked at being so pointedly ignored and unimportant.

"I thought I saw Usopp jump off one of the buildings, but we can all dream, can't we?" Gormal laughed. Sanji could not help but to twitch a smile at the comment.

"It's a shame I cannot leave you alone, otherwise I'd go after her," Sanji sighed. He grabbed the reins for the yagara bull and clicked his tongue, sending the creature slightly forward.

"I'm not that bad you know. You just fail to give me a chance."

"...and let you turn your back on my nakama? I don't think so."

"You're an arse."

"Whatever."

"A storm's coming," Gormal said, quite randomly in Sanji's opinion.

"Really?" A puff of the cigarette was followed by a groan. "What makes you so sure?"

"Maon taught me how to read the clouds," Gormal explained. "I'm not as good as he is, or even Nami for that matter, but I can still tell that a storm's coming. The clouds are growing darker steadily and the air feels heavy. Those clouds are not very fast either. I don't think it will happen for a while."

"I think that it will come within the next few days," Sanji scoffed.

"Why do you say that?"

"People are boarding up windows and doors already," the chef pointed out. "It's expected." Sanji pointed over towards where an older man was covering a window about halfway up his building with plywood. Gormal muttered something about Maon's way being better and slumped down in his seat.

**80808080808080808**

"Oi! That guy's running off with our money!" Luffy yelled, pointing at the blond man in the yagara bull cart. He took a step forward, ready to break into a sprint, but Iceburg's hand came down on the teen's shoulder and held him back.

"Hang on," the older man said. "He will come back, whether he likes it or not."

"How do you know!?" Nami snapped angrily. "We went through a lot of trouble to get that money! Now you're practically letting that man steal it!"

"Now why would I purposely let my customers be robbed?" Iceburg laughed. "Lucky for us, it's time for a shift change, otherwise I would go after him myself, nma, that's all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Maon asked.

"You'll see," Kalifa huffed, adjusting her eyeglasses properly. "All we have to do is wait."

"So then, while we're waiting, what sort of ship is the one you sail on?" Iceburg asked. The wary pirates glanced at him and it was finally Nami who spoke up.

"We have a caravel," she said. "It was constructed close to a year ago in the East Blue. All we want is a repair job. We don't want a new ship."

"A caravel, nma…" Iceburg pondered, his voice sounding entertained. "That is interesting. Usually only ships of a carrack class or larger are able to survive the entrance into the Grand Line. Your crew must have gotten an extremely spry ship in order to have traveled this far!"

"Carrack?" Usopp, Luffy and Maon all asked together. Nami sighed and shook her head.

"It's one of the ships that's bigger than ours, but smaller than a galleon," she explained.

"The galleon's the one that fell from the sky, right?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah, that's the one," Usopp nodded. Iceburg and Kalifa were unsure about what to say when suddenly, there was the sound of someone shouting loudly coming up the staircase.

In moments, the party guilty of the noise was revealed. The blond man who had stolen the suitcases of berri had returned, clutching a suitcase in either hand. He was loudly protesting to being pushed along by another man, complaining about being able to find his way himself. The new man was slightly taller than the blond, with slightly long, curly black hair and olive skin. A small goatee crept along his jaw line and a top hat sat casually on his head. A white bird wearing a red necktie sat on his shoulder, shouting insults at the blond man.

"You are such a disgrace!" the bird scolded. "How low can you be! It is a miracle Iceburg-san has yet to turn you out to the streets!"

"Ah, why don't you shut the hell up before I turn you into Sunday dinner!" the blond snarled. The man shoved him forward and it was then that the blond realized he was standing in front of the real owners of the money. His scowl quickly turned into an unusually meek smile, showing that he knew he was cornered.

"I'll take that, thank you!" Usopp hissed, marching up and snatching a suitcase from the thief. Maon came up besides him and took the other suitcase, nodding smugly in triumph as he handed it to the sniper.

"I would like to introduce you folks to these two," Iceburg said, stepping forward. "This is Rob Lucci and Paulie, both foremen of Dock One. Paulie is our rigging and mast expert while Lucci here is the trunnel and bolt specialist, as well as a master sawyer."

"Good afternoon. I am Rob Lucci's pigeon Hattori," said the bird sitting on the dark-haired man's shoulder. He bowed at what was presumably the waist and Lucci nodded in accordance.

"Excuse me, but how come someone like you is a foreman?" Nami asked, clutching onto the third suitcase dearly. She glared evilly at Paulie and once their eyes met, she could see the tell-tale eye shift that signaled he was observing the rest of her as well. Nami half-expected the man to smile, or even just raise his eyebrows, but instead he threw her completely off by taking a step back and cringing.

"How dare you!" he snarled, holding up his hand in order to block the view of Nami from the shoulders down. "How shameless can you be!? This is an all men's company and you go around in such clothing!"

"What…?" Nami asked, rather confused. She glanced down and tried to find what was wrong with what she wore. Finding nothing wrong with her short skirt and dark collared shirt, she turned to Kalifa and Iceburg for an answer.

"He's just like that, don't worry," Kalifa sighed, rolling her eyes. "We actually lose more female customer because of him than you'd think."

"Women these days! Why do they have to dress like such sluts!" Paulie cringed. It took only two seconds before he had to dodge a kick from Kalifa, whom he scoffed at for fighting.

"Just leave it alone!" Hattori demanded. "Kalifa-san, do not bother yourself with such trash. Leave him to us."

"Trash!?" Paulie snapped. He pulled a coil of rope from a pocket inside his jacket and threw one end towards Lucci. The end of the rope wrapped around Lucci's wrist and immediately drew taut. "You're the one who's so stuck-up he never talks to anyone!"

"You're a stupid punk!" Hattori snapped before flying off. Paulie spun on his heel and threw Lucci into the air, causing the man to fall down towards the cement ground. There was a cloud of dust that kicked up as Lucci connected with the cement.

"Why aren't you stopping them!?" Nami panicked. She stared at the dust cloud in horror.

"They usually do this sort of thing," Iceburg sighed. "Like I said, we don't hire just anyone here at Galley La." The dust cleared, revealing that Lucci had broken his fall by spearing the ground with his fingers.

"Wow! That's wicked!" Maon gasped. Wordlessly, Lucci removed himself from the ground and stood up again on his feet. Hattori flew back and landed on his shoulder.

"How disrespectful!" Hattori scoffed. Paulie made a mocking gesture and rolled his eyes.

"Nma, now that that's done and over with, how about a tour of the shipyard?" Iceburg offered happily. The pirates all raised their eyebrows and looked at the grinning older man.

"Fine," Nami smiled in return. She shoved the suitcase she was holding into Usopp's free hand and began to walk with Iceburg, Kalifa, Paulie and Lucci, Usopp, Luffy and Maon following close behind her. The two foremen walked first and each opened one of the large doors, revealing the inner workings of the shipyard.

People were everywhere. In various places there were men fussing over ropes and sails. Other parts had men hammering away at lumber, shaping it into the necessary form in order to create a ship. The in-progress crafts were of every size and shape possible. Nami, Luffy, Usopp and Maon were awestruck as they followed along behind the shipyard employees.

"Oh, wow!" Usopp gasped. "Look at all of that artillery! Maon! Let's go!" He motioned over towards a gathering of extremely large cannons of the newest model. Maon yelped in gleeful surprise and was soon off towards the cannons with Usopp.

"Those two," Nami growled. She grabbed Luffy right as he was about to walk off and join the sniper and musician. "Not you Luffy. You need to stay here with me and actually take part in this."

"Oh, Nami…" Luffy whined. The redhead glared and Luffy reluctantly stayed by her side.

"So what you wanted was a patch job and maybe some modifications?" Kalifa asked.

"Yeah!" Luffy said. "Our ship is the best! We want to keep it as long as we can!"

"That is good to hear," Iceburg smiled, petting Tyrannosaurus happily. "People who respect their ships often get many long and good years out of them. Nma! I see Kaku now!" Sure enough, Kaku walked in through the opened doors, making his way right for Iceburg, Kalifa, Paulie, Luffy and Nami, Lucci having wandered off to start his work.

"Well, I made my inspection," Kaku said.

"Yes?" Iceburg asked. The carpenter shook his head.

"There is nothing that can fix that ship."

Luffy and Nami gasped. Kalifa tisked and scribbled something down on her clipboard.

"What are you talking about?" Nami demanded. "That ship is not even a year and a half old! We plan on sailing on_ Merry_-go for a long time!"

"I am dreadfully sorry, Miss," Kaku replied, bowing his head slightly. "Even if we patch up your ship the best we can, the chance of you reaching the next island is zero percent. You would be better off simply buying yourselves another ship, ja."

"…but I don't want another ship! _Merry_'s just fine!" Luffy protested.

"So then, is the keel damaged?" Paulie asked. Kaku nodded reluctantly.

"The fact that they were able to make it here is a miracle. The keel was completely snapped in half and repaired with a strip of metal. Even if we do patch it with the best of our abilities, that craft will never sail again."

"Then you might want to look at our catalogue of new and used ships," Kalifa added, handing Nami a booklet. Luffy took the catalogue from Nami and held it out to Kalifa.

"We don't want a new ship," he said sternly. Paulie had opened his mouth and was about to argue when screaming cut through the air, halting the conversation in it tracks.

"Nami! Luffy! Help!"

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Paulie: Why!? Why couldn't it be him?!?! Gah! I would so give up my dignity and write a self-insert about him and me going to a baseball game or something. He wouldn't insult me either, 'cause I find the clothing thing just as horrific with those of the female gender. I'm in denim pants and a t-shirt ninety-five percent of the time (provided I have my way). Foosha. Why am I saying this? Who knows? I like to ramble...

Lucci: You know, I always saw him as the pretty-boy-angsty-brooding one for this whole group of people. He's just so... pretty! I never did like him though. Kind of like Sasuke from the Naruto series. Emo hurts my soul. I also think that's why I don't like Death Note. Rambling again... moving on...

Note: I am going to be using naval and wooden shipbuilding terms from now on when dealing with the shipwrights and the stuff about the ship. Think of it like how the audience doesn't get talked-down to when watching a medical drama. Same thing, essentially. I know you're not idiots, so we're good.

Title: "_Are You Being Served?_" is a British comedy series from the 70's, complete with its own (yet awkward) movie about a continental holiday.


	45. Dead End Adventure

I'm in panic mode. I've got very little time to get ahead of my chapters again and writer's block is attacking. I _so _don't want this to happen. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to **_Rose_**-san and **_Sakura_**-chan. These chapters are so long compared to _Inherited Will, Destiny of the Age_. Naaa...

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Water Seven Arc: _Dead End Adventure_

Luffy quickly began to run towards the sound of Maon and Usopp's voices, Nami right behind him. They ran though the mess that the shipyard was, only to find Usopp lying on the ground, thoroughly beaten to a pulp. One of the suitcases was by his side, the contents spilled onto the ground, with the other two suitcases missing.

"No! Usopp!" Nami gasped. "What happened!?"

"Money… guys… Maon… help…" was all that was audible as the sniper tried to talk. Luffy grit his teeth and looked up, where he could catch just a glimpse of Maon as he turned a corner.

"I'll be right back," he snarled right before taking off in a sprint. He quickly followed Maon and saw that the redhead was not making off with the money, but trying to retrieve the cases from the men that had stolen them earlier.

"Give those back!" he cried, trying to punch one of the strange men. The man just chuckled and shoved Maon to the ground with one hand. Maon landed on the bag he had slung over his shoulder, breaking glass and instantly setting off all of the chemicals that he was keeping in there. Acid began to eat away at everything it touched and a blue-violet haze swirling with magenta began to quickly spread, giving the thieves a clean get-away.

"Maon!" Luffy shouted as he entered the mist. His eyes immediately began to water and his chest was quickly constricting. Luffy reluctantly stepped out of the cloud, unable to breathe. Paulie, Kaku and Iceburg ran up to him and stared at the thick, unmoving cloud.

"What is that?" Kaku wondered aloud.

"I never thought the Frankies were capable of such an elaborate trick," Iceburg scowled as he helped up Luffy to his feet.

"We have to help Maon!" Luffy panicked, coughing out the haze. "He's trapped in there and when I went in, I almost suffocated!" Alarm swept across his face, worry for his nakama controlling his emotions.

"Hey Kaku, do you have a sawing mask on you?" Paulie asked, adjusting his goggles so that they were covering his eyes.

"Yes I do, ja," Kaku answered, taking the mask out of his pocket. Paulie snatched it without another word and covered his mouth and nose with it as he ran into the cloud.

"They really have stooped to a new low," Iceburg snarled. Luffy looked at Iceburg questioningly.

"Who?" he asked.

"The Frankies," Iceburg replied. "It's my bet that they're the ones who did this. They're always causing trouble. They were the ones who tried stealing your money before. I'm surprised they actually tried to come back again, since they usually leave after they realize that the people they are trying to rob are aware of their existence. They scrap ships and sell their parts in the underground market normally and have the tendency to rob people when their business is slow." Just then, Paulie emerged from the cloud with Maon. The redheaded man was unconscious, the acid that broke in his bag having eaten away at the worn leather of his bag and vest. His arms and chest were covered in splotches where the acid had gone right through his clothes and seared off his skin.

"What is that stuff!?" Paulie cursed as he coughed and set down Maon on the cement.

"Maon carries a lot of different little glass containers with liquid in them," Luffy said simply. "I think when he fell, the stuff in his bag broke and mixed wrong."

"Sounds about right," Kaku said, bending down to take Maon's pulse. "We need to get him to a doctor, quickly ja."

"Then I need to get Chopper," Luffy said quickly. Before anyone could protest, Luffy had turned on his heels and was running off in hopes of finding the exit. He almost went right past Nami and Kalifa, who were helping Usopp sit up, but paused for a split second.

"Did you get the money back?" Nami asked. Luffy shook his head sharply.

"No! Now Maon's hurt too! I need to find Chopper so that he can heal Usopp and Maon quickly!" He took off again, leaving Nami confused.

"Luffy! Get back here!"

80808080808080808

"Thanks for picking me up, bastards," the reindeer/humanoid Chopper said, snuggling into Gormal's lap for comfort. The deck hand shifted uncomfortably, not appreciating the doctor's actions. He and Sanji had found him wandering about aimlessly, half in tears and without Robin or a clue as to where she could have been. Needless to say that Sanji was not very pleased by this news, but accepted it anyways. He remedied the situation by throwing the once sniffling Chopper in the back of the cart with Gormal, which apparently set off the deck hand when the girls traveling the sidewalks noticed and started twittering again.

"I still can't believe that you lost Robin-chan," Sanji scoffed, taking a deep drag of his cigarette and waited for the rebuttal to come.

"It wasn't my fault she didn't follow me into the bookshop!" Chopper snapped defensively. "There was no way that she couldn't have seen me walking in! Usually she follows me around when we're in port!"

"Relax," Gormal said, gently shoving Chopper at the antler in an attempt at looking manly. "Don't listen to Sanji. He's just sore that he got stuck taking me shopping."

"He must be," Chopper agreed. He looked up at Gormal and smiled hopefully. "He's just jealous of me!"

"Right," Gormal nodded. "You're closer to getting a date with the women than any of the rest of us, him especially. It's because they find you '_adorable_'. I heard them talking one time about it."

"You two do know that I can hear you, right?" Sanji replied. He knew even by not turning around that Chopper and Gormal had each made faces at him. The blond clicked his tongue and snapped the yagara bulls' reins, sending the creatures into another canal.

"Where are we going?" Gormal asked.

"Think about it, shit-traitor," Sanji sighed. "What did Nami-san take the idiots to go do?"

"Pawn the gold."

"Right. Now what do we do with the money after we pawn the gold?"

"Hide it before Nami gets her greasy mitts on it?"

"Guess again, genius."

"Spend it!" Chopper said with a joyful squeak.

"That's right," Sanji smiled. "Now what do we need to do?"

"Find a pub," Gormal replied, now purposely getting on Sanji's nerve. Gormal chortled as the cook's ears went red in frustration. Then, from one of the shop fronts lining the street, came a young man with brown hair and a kendo bokken in one hand. His name was Toran, which was unknown to the three pirates.

"'ELLO," bellowed Toran, a grin plastered on his face. "DID SOM'ONE SAY THAT THEY NEEDED T' FIND A PUB?"

"Ano…" Gormal muttered, rather embarrassed. "I was only joking…"

"FUNK'EH'TOWN!" Toran shouted before walking away. Sanji, Gormal and Chopper stared in bewilderment as the young man simply walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

"Pardon me…?" Gormal asked, rather perplexed. Sanji and Chopper both shrugged and they continued on their way, leaving the previous conversation to die. Before long, the imposing form that was Galley La came into view. Sanji pulled the cart up next to the cement pavement and hopped out onto the ground.

"Stay here shit-traitor," he said. "Chopper, come on. Let's see if the others are here yet. I need to know if it's safe for me to bring the food back to the _Merry_."

"Okay!" Chopper agreed, climbing out of the small boat. Not even two of his hooves were on the ground when there was the sound of a door slamming open and Luffy's voice cut through the air.

"CHOPPER!? WHERE ARE YOU!?" the young captain screamed. He looked down and saw the crew doctor standing on the pavement, staring up at him curiously. Luffy tried to run down the staircase, but ended up rolling down, colliding with Sanji and knocking the chef to the ground.

"What do you think you are doing!?" Sanji spat.

"I need Chopper! Usopp and Maon are hurt!" Luffy replied, his voice filled with worry.

"They didn't try to convince you that they had some sort of werewolf-disease again, did they?" Sanji sighed. Luffy stood up and grabbed Chopper by a hoof.

"No! Usopp was beat up and Maon's chemicals went off on accident! Some guys made off with our money!"

"Maon, you twit!" Gormal snarled, bolting out of the cart and running up the staircase., abandoning the cart to Sanji's care. Luffy dragged along Chopper and followed the deck hand. Once inside the shipyard, Gormal looked around, smelled the air and glanced around the tops of the various storage buildings. He saw the blue-violet cloud growing in size from behind a shed and immediately took off in that direction. Luffy and Chopper followed and it was not long before they came across Usopp and Maon, laying on the ground next to one another with Nami, Iceburg, Kalifa, Kaku and Paulie looming over them.

"Holy shit! What happened!?" Chopper wailed, immediately setting to work treating the two injured pirates. He gave Usopp some sleeping medicine and wrapped up all of his cuts and bruises, while he applied salve to Maon's burns.

"Who did this?" Gormal asked, his voice weak as he stared at Maon with wide eyes. Nami sighed and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"Some jerks that call themselves the Franky Family. Iceburg-san just told me that they prey upon people coming here with tons of money, but they rarely go to this extent." She inhaled slowly and glanced down at her injured nakama. "They first beat up Usopp and tried to run off. Maon tried to chase after them, but they shoved him so that he landed on the bag with his chemicals. We're thinking that the glass in there broke and what he was carrying around mixed and caused a chain reaction."

"Maon, you're such an idiot," Gormal cursed, his eyes beginning to water. He held his palm against his forehead as he tried to not cry. "I always knew those things weren't good for you to carry around…"

"I tried to get him, but I couldn't breathe in the big cloud," Luffy explained, pointing at the blue-violet cloud. "Rope-guy had to get him."

"I have a name you know," Paulie scowled.

"I think that maybe we should take our leave now. There is work to do, ja," Kaku said, pulling along Paulie by the sleeve. The two foremen walked off, grim expressions on their faces from the incident.

"Maybe you can take them to my house," Iceburg offered Chopper. "It is right here on the grounds of Galley La. There you can work in peace."

"We need to get them back to the ship," Chopper argued, shaking his head softly. The reindeer felt Maon's forehead and gasped at the sign of a fever. "There's more medicine on the ship that I'm going to need. Usopp is going to be fine after a while of rest, but Maon… I don't know…"

"Then to the ship by all means," Gormal agreed. He bent down and slung Maon over his back, while Luffy and Nami both took and propped Usopp up between them.

"I do hope that your crewmates recover," Iceburg said as the pirates began to limp away. "Are you sure you do not want any help?"

"Don't worry!" Luffy said, a smile spreading across his face. "Chopper's gonna be the best doctor in the world someday and even right now, there's barely nothing he can't cure."

"Then just remembered what we talked about," Kalifa mentioned before they were out of an earshot. Nami and Luffy could not forget.

_Merry _was done for.

80808080808080808

The Frankies ran all the way to the other side of the island. There, a house sat, filled with other men who were just as rag-tag and outlandish as they were. In the main room, there was a man who sat on a large chair as if it were a throne, his face hidden by a mask. His attire was not hidden, however, being that it was an unbuttoned shirt with a loud pattern and a black speedo swimsuit. The Frankies with the briefcases brought the money to the man sitting high in the chair. The man opened one of the cases and laughed.

"How were you guys able to get such a haul?" he asked.

"There was a pirate in town carrying these!" the leader of the little gang replied cheerily. He grinned broadly as the man in the chair laughed heartily.

"Mozu! Kiwi!" the masked man called happily. Two women appeared suddenly.

"Yes, sir?" they asked in unison.

"I think we're going to have a little celebration on our hands! Please, coordinate!"

"Yes sir!" the two women cheered. The entire hall erupted into laughter.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Paulie: I love Paulie. -grins- I am a really, really hopeless fangirl. Just ask my brother... or read "_Inherited Will, Destiny of the Age_"... or my last chapter notes. No hope whatsoever. I'm such a tard.

Toran: So I was writing this in the beginning days of June, before I graduated from high school, and my one friend comes up while I'm writing during class and asks me what I'm writing. I tell him it is a fanfiction and he asked if he was in it. I said no, but decided to put his character in anyways, just as a bit. I had been, amazingly enough, been stuck on trying to end the "_What do we do with pawned gold?_" discussion, so it almost works. If you guys want, Toran can be like my version of Pandaman.

Title: "_Dead End Adventure_" is the title of the second One Piece movie, for those who do not pay much attention to the movies. Yes, One Piece has movies. Eight of them, actually. Eight? Yeah, eight. I like numbers five and six, personally, but that's just me. Go Rosario-chan, go! Angst, Saga, angst!


	46. Fight Club

No reviewer thanks. It's... odd, really. Then again, it is mid-terms after all. I got an A on my English one. Imagine that, a seasoned fanfiction author native to the English language, doing well on an English midterm. At least I didn't have to dissect a sentence and name parts of it. Even Schoolhouse Rock can't help me there. I do not own _One Piece_. Please review so that I can thank people. I enjoy thanking people.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Water Seven Arc: _Fight Club_

The air was heavy with tension and dread, dampening the mood on the _Merry_. Chopper was still in the men's quarters with Usopp and Maon, attempting to heal them best he could. Meanwhile, no one else was able to do much more than sit around and wait. The rest of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan sat in the galley, waiting for either Chopper to give them an update or for Robin to come back to the ship. Once it had been two hours without either showing up, the remaining pirates started to become restless.

"This is crazy," Zoro growled, folding his arms akimbo and leaning back in his chair. "How could those idiots let this happen to them?"

"Leave it alone," Sanji snapped from over where he was preparing some food for everyone's dinners. "You really think that those two morons flat-out _asked_ to get beaten to a pulp?! One second they were fine and then the next they were ambushed! You can't blame them!"

"Calm down," Gormal muttered. He leaned his elbows on the wooden table and spoke slowly, his face pale from worry and clear despair. "It's Maon and Usopp. Don't we have to take care of them half the time already? Chopper will fix them up and then we can go back and get the _Merry_ fixed."

"That's a problem," Nami said. She placed the ship catalogue on the table. "We need a new ship."

"No we don't," Luffy argued softly, pushing the catalogue off the table deftly. "_Merry_ just needs a patch job like we said."

"Luffy, you heard Iceburg-san and Kaku," Nami said, picking up the catalogue and setting it in front of her captain. "I know we've come a long way with _Merry_, but right now, her leg of the trip has to end. It doesn't mean that we don't care about the ship anymore."

"Is that why that strange-looking guy was here earlier?" Zoro asked. "I almost sliced him up after I realized he wasn't Usopp."

"Yeah," Nami said. "He said that the keel was broken. If the keel is broken, then that's it for _Merry_."

"Seriously?" Gormal wondered, his face paling even more. "If the keel is broken, then the entire frame should collapse. How are we even able to sit in it right now?"

"Someone patched it with a metal band," Nami replied. "I wonder who did that, because I think it might have saved our lives up until this point."

"I bet I know who," Sanji sighed, sitting down at the table. He pointed downwards and took a few quick puffs on his cigarette. "One of them or both covered our asses with fixing the ship, but their quick fixes are still just quick fixes."

"I really don't want to do this," Luffy said, pulling the catalogue close to him and opening it up. "_Merry_'s such a good ship."

"We can't help it," Nami sighed, patting Luffy on the shoulder. Luffy nodded silently and began scanning over the different types of ships listed, requiring help in understanding nautical terms he had simpler equivalents for, such as a _schooner_, or _a really big ship_, and _stay mouse_, otherwise known as _the-knot-in-the-rigging_. After a while, Luffy actually began to enjoy the idea of a new ship, believing that it would eventually be for the better.

It was not too much longer before the galley door opened and Usopp limped in, Chopper walking right behind his so as to not allow him to fall. The rest of the crew stayed silent as the sniper was sat down at the table. Apparently Chopper had deemed it beneficial for the sniper to be wandering around the ship, so no one questioned it.

"On your feet I see," Zoro finally said. Usopp turned his head and gave the swordsman a pitiful expression.

"I'm sorry," he croaked. "I'm sorry that I'm such a goddamn screw-up. I lost us two hundred million berri that everyone worked so hard for. Now Maon's hurt too and…"

"Don't say that," Sanji said as he walked back into the kitchen area. "They said you were ganged up on. That's not fair."

"Any of the rest of you guys could have handled them!" Usopp retorted. "Luffy would have had them out cold in two seconds!"

"Don't compare yourself to him," Gormal said sourly his gaze hardening on a knot in the wood of the table. "You know that he'd beat up most people in a flash no matter what. Besides, Maon was obviously no match for them either, correct?"

"Yeah, but…!" Usopp began. He was cut off, however, by Sanji placing a plate of food in front of him.

"Just shut up and eat," the chef said, rolling his eyes. "We don't need to hear your excuses." Usopp looked questioningly at the plate and then slowly began to eat.

"Hey, Chopper," Gormal added, "it's good Usopp's up, but how's Maon?"

"He's still unconscious," Chopper replied. "I have no idea what to do for him. Those chemicals of his are all so strange that I can't even decide where to start. Messing with his system at this point could possibly do more harm than good."

"Damn it all! Who am I kidding…?" Gormal cursed, resting his face in his palms. "First Annette-chan, now Maon…"

"Chopper just said he's not dead yet," Zoro interrupted, a scowl on his own face. Gormal just stood straight up, knocking his chair to the ground.

"Those chemicals are what he uses in battle, you brainless git!" he bellowed. "He's _supposed_ to die! All those acids and suffocators were designed to kill, disable and maim at the least! That's why he always had antidotes on him! Now even those are gone and only he knows how to counter everything! I knew we never should have joined this crew! I should have dragged Annette-chan and Maon out of here when I had the chance on Rakuen!"

"Like we knew they were going to die," Sanji spat. The chef glared fiercely at Gormal from across the room. "This is all just part of life, especially the life of a pirate. Saying such things is only going to piss me off, so don't you _ever_ say such a thing again, because I _will_ kick your ass so hard, you'll end up back over in Logue Town." Gormal cursed the blond under his breath and stormed out of the galley door, making his way to the crow's nest in order to cool his temper off.

"Hey Nami," Luffy asked cheerily, pointing in the catalogue and breaking the awkward level of silence that had taken hold of the room. "Is this bigger than _Merry_? It seems like a lot of these ships are bigger than the _Merry_."

"Yes, it is," the navigator replied. Usopp almost choked on his food.

"What are you guys doing?" he asked.

"Looking for a new ship," Nami explained.

"…but I thought we were going to fix _Merry_…"

"It's beyond repair," Nami sighed. "We need a new ship."

"All we need is patchwork!" Usopp argued. "I've taken care of this ship ever since Kaya gave it to us! I say all it needs is some professional patchwork and it's fixed!"

"The keel is broken," Sanji said.

"Then fix the keel," Usopp replied.

"You can't," Luffy said, glancing in a matter-of-factly way at the marksman. He flipped the page of the catalogue and sighed. "There's nothing we can do but get a new ship. I don't want to, but we have to."

"The _Merry_ is just fine!" Usopp retorted. "Wherever the ship goes, I go. I wanted to bring Kaya back the ship she gave us so that she could better see our adventures on it!"

"That's impossible," Nami said, trying to sound reasonable.

"Of course it's possible!" Usopp was yelling now. "_Merry_ is like one of our nakama! I can't abandon my nakama!"

"We have to let her go," Zoro said, cricking his neck to the left. "Nothing can last forever. We should just be thankful that we had such a long haul with her. This is not abandonment; this is knowing our place and the place of the ship. Even nakama have to go separate ways one day."

"How can you say such a thing!?" Usopp asked, thoroughly shocked. "Our place is with the _Merry_! You guys are talking about her as if she were a tool! Would you abandon any of us like that!?"

"We need a new ship, Usopp," Luffy said casually, standing up with the catalogue still in his hands. His demeanor was almost on the verge of cheer as he held out the booklet for Usopp to see across the table. "It says here that we can get a ship that's bigger and won't break as easily…"

"I don't want to have to go back to Kaya without her gift to us!" Usopp protested. He too stood up. "I would fight you for the honor and dignity of this ship!"

"Then why don't you?" Luffy asked, his voice calm. "I'll fight you."

"I would have to resign my place in this crew," Usopp said, his voice quivering.

"Okay then," Luffy said casually. Usopp walked over towards the galley door and paused before he reached for the handle.

"At ten o'clock, I'll come back, and you better be ready" he said. With that, Usopp marched out of the galley and off the Merry.

"Luffy! Go after him!" Chopper panicked. "You two shouldn't fight like this!"

"If he wants to go, then let him go," Luffy said, sitting back down and sighing. "We do not stay here because of a blood contract. He has been free to leave since the second he joined."

The galley was silent as Luffy continued to read through the catalogue, humming a tune to himself. Nami, Zoro, Chopper and Sanji all were stuck in an uncomfortable state of quiet. None of them wanted to say anything, yet were all screaming inside their own consciousness at not only their captain, but at one another.

_This is stupid_, Zoro thought sourly.

'_Usopp is going to die_,' Kuina answered softly. '_The only way for Usopp to win is to kill Luffy and I highly doubt that is going to happen any time soon._'

_Let the moron die if that is what he wishes. This is nothing to get upset over_.

'_Merry thinks it is sad_.'

_You talk to the ship?_

'_Yeah. Merry is sad that there is fighting. She wants Usopp and Luffy to be friends again_.'

_I don't know_, Zoro sighed. He glanced over at the straw-hatted captain and his mouth twitched. _They're just a pair of punks_.

'_Punks that are virtually the same in spirit and character. Luffy always has had the ambitions to prove himself to the man who gave him that hat. Usopp is unsure and still needs to prove himself to himself before he can start to impress others in his mind._ _Hopefully they don't kill one another_.'

_Neither of them kill. We kill_.

'…_but the only thing we've ever been too weak for in spirit is still floating around in that stupid coffin. These two, they're on the same level spiritually_.'

_You talk too much._

'_I know_.'

Zoro stood up and walked out of the galley and headed straight for the mikan grove. He watched as Usopp stormed off onto the island, every so often hitting a limp in his step and nearly falling over. The swordsman scowled.

This was not going to turn out good.

**80808080808080808**

"I can't believe they're doing this... I can't believe they're doing this... I can't believe that those two idiots are actually going to do this!" Nami panicked. The time had slowly ticked away and ten o'clock was coming. Luffy had locked himself in the men's quarters and everyone else was gathered out on the main deck aside from Maon and Chopper.

"You are as enthusiastic as the rest of us Nami-san," Sanji commented. He took a calming drag of his cigarette and exhaled the large cloud of smoke into the night air. "Do you really think that we all really want this to happen?"

"They're going to kill each other!" Nami protested. "I don't know why they have to fight like this! We don't even know where Robin is and these two can only concentrate on the fact that they have this stupid duel!"

"Don't you get it, woman?" Zoro scoffed. "It's their duty as men to fight with each other. There's nothing we can do besides sit back and watch."

"Sit back and watch?" Nami asked, raising her eyebrow. Just then, the door to the hold opened and out stepped Luffy. He was grim-faced and serious, a mood that did not sit well on his normally care-free features.

"Stay here you guys," he said as he walked down the gangplank onto the island. Beyond their hearing, the clock tower of Water Seven began to strike. Usopp appeared at the edge of the field, equally bitter in his expressions. He and Luffy stood square-shouldered across from one another, the only noise audible being the rustling of patches of grass in the soft breeze.

"Come and get me Luffy! Why are you just standing there!?" Usopp hollered over the field. "Are you afraid!?"

"I just want to make sure this is what you want," Luffy said plainly. "There is no turning back."

"I know," Usopp replied. Then, he began to cough and his knees buckled. Luffy rushed forward and saw blood coming from his former nakama's mouth.

"Usopp!" gasped Nami from the deck. She glared fiercely at Zoro, her face suddenly determined. "See?! He's still to hurt! I'm getting Chopper!"

"No you aren't," Gormal said, placing his hand on her shoulder. Nami was about to protest when they heard Usopp scold Luffy.

"Put your guard down and the enemy will get the best of you!" the sniper shouted.

Within seconds he was barraging Luffy with tricks such as dials, metal spike balls, shuriken and tabasco stars. As soon as the lightning-quick attacks began to fully register with the onlookers still sitting on the _Merry Go_, Luffy was engulfed in a huge explosion, set off by some Flavor Dials and a fire star. When the smoke cleared, Luffy lay on the ground, burned and bleeding, but not unconscious. He had failed to throw a single punch back at Usopp and it showed.

'_Those punks_,' Kuina muttered. She and Zoro watched silently as Usopp and Luffy then charged at one another, both ready for a fight to the finish.

"Everything is falling apart," Zoro replied softly. He, as well as the rest of the crew, recoiled slightly at the sight of Luffy sending a wicked punch into Usopp's gut, ending the duel and forcing the marksman to collapse.

"Goodbye Usopp," Luffy panted morosely. "Do what you want with _Merry_, but we are going to move forward." Solemnly, the captain began to walk back towards the ship.

"Hey! I thought I heard an explosion!" Chopper yelled as he burst out of the hold and onto the deck. He saw Usopp laying on the ground and began to run towards the gangplank.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sanji asked. Chopper stared at the blond man in shock.

"Usopp's hurt!"

"Yeah, and he just lost a duel. The worst thing for him you could do right now is show him kindness," Sanji spat, angrily staring at his shoes. Chopper looked from Sanji to Nami. The navigator was covering her eyes, her teeth grit in determination to not cry in front of Luffy as he walked back onto the ship.

"Come on you guys. Let's go," Luffy said.

"Go where?" Gormal asked. "We have a sick man with us and not even a new ship to our names."

"We'll find somewhere," Luffy sighed. He gazed up at the partial moon hanging in the sky and breathed deeply. "It hurts."

"It's a captain's duty," Zoro added. He saw Luffy pull the brim of his hat down low and allowed the tears to silently stream down his cheeks.

No one else said another word as the heavy loss fell down fully upon them. Usopp was no longer one of them.

* * *

**Author's Notes**

Luffy's Wariness: Really, he comes to this decision all on his own, without the help of Nami. He, Zoro and Sanji are also supposed to go berserk on the Franky House, but I left that out too. I'm trimming as much as I can without butchering the story too much. At least everyone still drinks grog.

Nautical Terms: I have researched wooden shipbuilding and hopefully can be much more accurate in my descriptions and eventual terminology involving the ships featured. Oh, do I ever feel pathetic for admitting that.

Gormal Being Pissed: Why am I doing this? To help my OCs be not so OC-ish and have more character development. OCs cannot be perfect and need to have hurdles to conquer, just like regular canon characters do. I mean, come on, I can't let a set of good male OCs go to waste. They're male OCs in a primarily-female OC fandom, so they sort of have to break the mold to begin with. Tell me, tell me, tell me... does it actually seem like he's developing as a character? Is he still rather two-dimensional or becoming more two-and-a-half-dimensional? Informing me of your opinions will help me to write him and Maon better in the future.

The Argument: In all actuality, they're supposed to try to knock the snot out of each other. I found that rather unnecessary, don't you agree? Also, Kuina makes an excellent point.

A Note: I was stuck on this chapter for, no joke, almost all of summer. End of May/beginning of June until the ending days of August. That duel was, _intimidating_, so to speak. I just couldn't bring myself to write it until I sat down one night with some soda and vowed to not do anything else until it was written. Since I really love playing Freecell, it got done.

Title: "Fight Club" is a movie (as well as novel) about... well, I'd ruin the story for you. It's trippy, full of bare-knuckle fights and Brad Pitt. He annoys me. Good actor, yeah, but I'm sick of hearing about him. I am the one out of a few thousand that just really doesn't care about the lives of the rich and famous. Watch, I'll meet someone famous and later ask who in the hell it was. It will happen.


	47. Men of Honor

Panic Mode! Panic Mode! Danger! Danger! Do not abort the mission! DO NOT ABORT!!! Sorry. Don't ask. I do not own_ One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Zoro**_-san, _**Sakura**_-chan and _**Butterfly**_-san.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Water Seven Arc: _Men of Honor_

Zoro walked out onto the roof of the hotel and found that he was not alone. The night before, he and the rest of the crew had checked in, bringing all of their belongings from the _Merry Go _that they could, while leaving a little bit of food and medicine for Usopp behind. Now it was early in the morning, just as twilight was beginning to illuminate the sky and the swordsman discovered that he was not the only one unable to sleep. Luffy, Nami, Sanji and Chopper were all on the roof, the straw-hatted teen keeping distant from the other three.

"I guess none of us can sleep, huh?" Zoro scoffed as he plopped down on the ground next to Chopper and Sanji.

"I just wish Robin were here," Nami said. "She just left without a word and now she doesn't even know where to find us."

"She'll come back, so don't you worry Nami-swan," Sanji said sweetly.

"Yeah, but it feels like everything is coming undone at the seams," Nami sighed, hugging her knees as she sat with her back leaning on the short wall at the edge of the roof. "Robin's gone, Usopp left us, Maon is dying and we know that Gormal is going to go ballistic when he does d... ugh. We're nothing but a broken crew. Just a few days ago everything was fine and now this..."

"Nothing can stay the same forever Nami," Zoro said. He glanced up at the pale moon hanging solemnly in the sky and sighed. "Things change, including people."

"That reminds me, I have to go check on the bastard," Chopper said. He began to walk towards the door to go underneath, talking softly to himself.

Just as Chopper was about to open the door, a man came out of the other side. He stood in the doorway and panted heavily in order to catch his breath.

"You are... the group that checked in... last night... right?" he asked through deep breaths. Luffy came off his perch to even get a proper look at the man. He was short and stubby, only barely able to see over Chopper's antlers and hat when standing fully erect.

"Yeah, we were the ones who came in last night," Luffy said. "Is there is problem?"

"I am sorry to say that you have to relocate," the man said.

"What!?" the Mugiwara Kaizokudan all gasped together.

"I figured that I better be the one to inform all of you, as I am the owner of this place," the man said. "Later today, Aqua Laguna is coming and everyone has to go to the shelters before noon."

"What in the world are you talking about?" Nami asked. The man gave her a puzzled look.

"You seriously don't know?"

"We've never been here before," Sanji explained while he lit a cigarette. "We're travelers. I have figured that a storm was coming, but not one that involved shelters."

"Then if I had not warned you, you might as well have been done for!" the man sighed. "Aqua Laguna is sort of like a high tide. Most of the city will be put under water, including this building. I don't know why my assistant working last night didn't tell you..."

"That's just because she was afraid of Sanji chatting her up," Zoro smirked. Sanji in turn elbowed Zoro hard before speaking up again.

"We've got a sick man with us," the chef explained. "I'm not sure how much more we can move him. Plus we lost track of someone we were traveling with. What do we do about them?"

"You are going to have to move your sick friend if he is going to survive," the man said. "There is an airtight safe space for personal belongings in the basement of this building, but I suggest that you make way for the shelters quickly. There you should find anyone that you might need to see, since only suicidal madmen don't retreat for Aqua Laguna."

"Thanks for the warning, sir," Nami said. The hotel's owner exited the roof quickly, leaving the pirates to decide their course of action.

"Chopper," Luffy said. "Go down and tell Gormal that we have to move Maon. Zoro, Sanji, Nami, we have to move all of our stuff down into the basement that guy just told us about. Let's meet up in front of the building in half an hour."

"Right," everyone else agreed. The sun broke against the horizon, spilling the cold early morning light upon the Mugiwara Kaizokudan as they all rushed to their duties.

**80808080808080808**

"What took you idiots so long?" Nami asked as Luffy, Sanji and Zoro all came out of the hotel building after putting their things away in the basement. Nami had abandoned the heavy-lifting long before, leaving the three to finish off the putting away of things while she joined Chopper and Gormal out front.

"Hey, we had a lot of shit to move," Zoro snapped. He and Nami then glared at one another, the anger tense in the air.

"Oi, can we get a move on?" Gormal asked. The dark-skinned man carefully shifted the still-unconscious Maon, whom he was carrying piggyback, so that he was a bit more stable as far as his balance was concerned. "I want to get to the shelter quickly so that we can find a prime spot."

"Yeah, let's go," Luffy said, cracking a weak smile. "The sooner we get there, the better."

"If you keep on making sense like this, I'm going to wonder what you did with Luffy," Sanji laughed. Luffy giggled and began to run.

"Come on!" he said, back to his old self. He began to run down the street, everyone else chasing after him.

"Luffy! We have to stick together!" Chopper yelled.

"Come on! Where's the fun in that!?" the straw-hatted teen called back.

"You're going to get lost!" Zoro shouted as they all wove in and out through the narrow sidewalks.

"Trust the poofter-marimo! The bloke speaks from experience!" Gormal joked. Zoro snarled in response and was about to attempt to make a comeback when Kuina interrupted him.

'_Something's not right,'_ she said. _'There's a sort of tension I'm picking up and it doesn't feel good.'_

_That Agua Harpoona... whatever it is... I bet that's what you're feeling. If you talk to other dead people, and you think you talk to the ship, then you probably pick up on the weather too._

'_Oh, I do hope you're right. I don't like being so worried. It's like I'm not myself anymore.'_

_You've got that right. It's almost like I'm talking to a girl._

'_Shove it.'_

Suddenly, the gang all came to a halt when they saw Luffy standing in the middle of a square. They were near one of the Galley La Company's docks and almost the entire square was lined with people. In the middle of all the commotion was them, Luffy and a strange man with styled-up blue hair and wearing nothing but a loudly-patterned shirt and tight swim-pants.

"Were you the ones who wailed so horrifically on my Little Brothers!?" the man asked loudly, his voice brimming with anger.

"Who are you?" Luffy asked. "I've never seen you before in my life!"

"You do not know who I am!?" the blue-haired man gasped. He adjusted the sunglasses on his metal-plated nose and struck a pose. "I am Water Seven's other famous face! I am the dazzling, the awesome, the utmost super... FRANKY!!!"

"I still don't know why you're mad with me!" Luffy protested. Franky struck another pose and raised his eyebrow.

"You are the leader of the Mugiwara Kaizokudan, right?" he asked. The surrounding crowd began to murmur and give the rest of the pirates uneasy glances.

"Ah shit, something's up," Sanji cursed. Zoro wrenched his face as Kuina began to scream inside his head. Chopper half-hid behind Nami and Gormal grunted something unintelligible, though it was most likely a curse than anything else.

"One of your own came by my house last night when I wasn't there," Franky continued. "I came back this morning to find everyone was beaten to a pulp. Everyone but my two Little Sisters Mozu and Kiwi; they were the ones that told me everything!"

"We all stayed together last night!" Nami snapped, stepping forward. She then cringed backwards slightly as she felt the hundreds of eyes stare down upon her.

"So I see you have a sister and brothers of your own to worry about there, Straw Hat," Franky scoffed angrily. He fisted his hand and aimed it right for Nami. "STRONG RIGHT!" It was then that his hand came blasting off his wrist, hurtling at Nami so quickly, that Luffy almost did not make it in order to block the attack. The hand recoiled back towards Franky and reconnected swiftly.

"H-How did you do that!?" Nami gasped.

"I'm a cyborg," Franky laughed.

"What in the ruddy sea's a 'cyborg'?" Gormal snapped. He fumbled around for his pistol, but stopped when he almost dropped Maon.

"I am a metal man, how about that?" Franky replied. "Shoot me all you want, boy. Everything's just going to bounce right off me!"

"That's enough!" boomed a voice over the crowd. The onlookers parted to reveal five men stepping out of their ranks and into the empty area of the square, three of whom were recognizable as Paulie, Lucci and Kaku. The other two men failed to seem ordinary, as one was a towering wall of muscle and the other was armed with twin pistols large enough to be considered miniature cannons.

"Hurrah!" cried the crowd. "The foremen of Galley La have come to save the day! Do you see that!? The five strongest! Cool!"

"Keep out of this," Franky sighed, glancing sideways at the shipwrights. "This fight is between the Straw Hat and me."

"Not if we have anything to say about it," Paulie snarled. He whipped out some rope and flung it at the confused Luffy's neck. "Rope Action Half Knot Air Drive!" Paulie flicked the rope with his wrist and flung Luffy into a nearby wall.

"Didn't you idiots hear me!? This is my fight!" Franky yelled. "I'm the one pissed off at them!"

"Yeah, you'd better give us a clear answer as to who you're attacking us in about ten seconds before we hit back," Zoro said, unsheathing the Wado Ichimonji.

"How dare you ingrates show your faces around here," Paulie hissed. "That's why I've never really understood pirates."

"What are you talking about?" Luffy asked as he gasped for air. "What did we do to you guys!? I don't get it!" He glared at the shipwrights, who in turn, readied their weapons at lighting speed. In less than a second, Zoro and Kaku were at ends, chisel-to-sword, while Sanji was on his hands, the two unfamiliar men both parried by a foot each.

"You were the ones who wanted to kill Iceburg-san, weren't you!?" Paulie yelled, pointing at Luffy. "One of your crewmates snuck into Headquarters last night and shot Iceburg-san in his own home!"

"How would you know!?" Luffy snarled. "None of my nakama would do something like that!"

"Have you ever heard of a woman that goes by the name of '_Nico Robin_'?" Kaku asked, smiling as he held his own against Zoro's swords.

"You know where Robin is?!" Nami gasped.

"She is the one who almost killed Iceburg-san!" Hattori exclaimed from Lucci's shoulder. "She is a menace, as well as her companions!"

"Robin wouldn't do something like that!" Chopper exclaimed. "You don't know her like we do!"

"Maybe so, but the fact of the matter is that Iceburg-san is still recovering from gunshot wounds inflicted by a masked man and that wretch Nico Robin," Paulie barked. "Where is your sense of honor, _**pirate**_!?"

"You guys really do want a fight, don't'cha?" Luffy asked, standing up straight and adjusting his straw hat. The eerily grim silence that came over the square was all the answer he needed. "Gormal, Nami, Chopper, get Maon to one of those shelters and make sure he's okay. We'll take care of things here."

"Right!" the three pirates in question exclaimed. As soon as they turned around to leave, however, their path was blocked by the onlookers, every one staring in spite.

"Move!" Gormal insisted. "None of us have anything to do with this fight!"

"Make an enemy of Galley La and you make an enemy in the entire city of Water Seven," Paulie explained simply. "How can we be sure this isn't part of an elaborate plot to finish Iceburg-san off?"

"Just stop talking and come and get me," Luffy spat, ready to charge.

Suddenly, there came a scream from the direction of Franky. The man had his hands twisted together and it was aimed directly at the wall Luffy had been thrown into by Paulie's attack.

"COUP DE VENT!" the cyborg shouted. An enormous blast came from his hands, demolishing the wall and sending debris everywhere. When the dust cleared, the Mugiwara Kaizokudan were gone, as well as Franky, leaving the shipwrights alone in the circle of onlookers.

"Damn it!" boomed the tallest of the men. "We let them all get away!"

"Cool it Tilestone," Paulie grunted, kicking a piece of scrap wood that landed close to his feet. "Things are going to be over before we know it. Peepley Lulu, Kaku, tell the rest of the dockworkers that they have to spread out in the city. We're going to finish this before nightfall."

**80808080808080808**

_Did we lose them?_ Zoro asked, panting heavily. He stood in a dark alleyway, leaning up against a wall as men went running past, shouting about catching Zoro and his nakama.

'_Well, I think we lost the rest of the guys,'_ Kuina observed. _'Hopefully everyone can make it to safety before that high tide.'_

_I don't know... Gormal was carrying Maon after all... but what do you think actually possessed them to think that we were trying to kill some guy who is obviously important to us getting a new ship?_

'_Maybe it __**was **__Robin,' _Kuina pondered. _'None of us have seen her in what feels like ages.'_

_She was our enemy before,_ Zoro thought. _If she had stayed along all this time, only to leave like this, something __**has **__to be up. It seems like the women of this crew have a traitor streak about them._

'_What about me? Don't I count for anything?'_

_No. You're just that voice inside my head, making everyone think I'm crazy. Besides, you spout off anything you like to almost anyone. That counts as a traitor in my book._

'_**Fine**__. Now I guess it would be a better time than ever to settle the question I know has been wracking at your brain since Alabasta.'_

_Friend or foe?_

'_Exactly.'

* * *

_

**Author's Notes**

Guilty as Charged: Yeah, this is so not how the story is supposed to go. I still sort of play along the lines, but not really, I'm messing up everything... go read the manga or watch the anime if you're really curious/confused. I do believe that this was the point where I began whipping out my archived files of the fan-translated manga and read, and re-read, and picked-and-chose what to put in and leave out and change... I'm a bad person. Despite that, I would enjoy the input. I am rather distracted by... things... -shifty eyes-

Title: "Men of Honor" is a film that outlines the military career of the first black _**and**_ amputee naval diver in the United States Navy, Carl Brasheer. Liam Neeson cusses a whole heck of a lot in it too. I used the title 'cause of Paulie's line. -whimpers- Paulie... x.x

Update Notice: Next chapter's coming two days early in honor of our favorite moss-headed swordsman's birthday. See you all on Armistice Day!


	48. Catch Me If You Can

I fear the next seven weeks. Working in a grocery store plus not being able to take time off for the holidays might spell a figurative death. Jeezum... work, finals and the holidays; I swear they're out to get me. I do not own _One Piece_. Reviewer thanks go out to _**Sakura**_-chan and _**Butterfly**_-san, for being quite pleasant people.

* * *

**Illicit Memories**

Water Seven Arc: _Catch Me If You Can_

Gormal breathed heavily as he ran through the streets, the crowd gradually thinning as he went on. Normally, he knew he still could have gone on for longer, yet the extra weight of Maon slung on his back only worsened things for the deck hand. He was straining himself as he ran, his steps becoming heavier with each passing stride.

_That bloody wench, framing us like that_, he thought angrily. He ducked into an alleyway and collapsed almost right away, Maon's dead weight still pressing down hard on him. Carefully, Gormal edged Maon off his back and laid him flat on the pavement, face blankly facing his.

_Why did you have to insist on staying?_ Gormal asked internally. He knew it was useless to talk; Maon would not hear him anyways. He shifted onto his knees and stared at the unconscious man with watery eyes._ You just had to insist, hadn't you!? Your dream was to stay with them; to be a part of a family-type group. This is our death Maon! You're as good as done for and if I go back home Auntie Mordag will kill me for sure! Why...? Why do you have to leave me all alone!? Annette-chan... Maon... how can you both leave me like this...?_

Gormal stared long and hard at Maon's tranquil face. He could hear the musician's light and shallow breathing, just barely keeping him alive.

_That poofter-marimo told me I was one of them_, he continued. Gormal felt tears streaming from his face onto his hands and lap, but he was far from caring. _If I'm really one of those Shandian blokes, what does that make me? Will I really be alone once you die Maon? The others won't accept me like they did you. I was ready to leave. I was willing to kill them, just like Wiper was willing to kill me. They won't take me back with open arms after you're gone. You were willing to put the water under the bridge... while I'm just an arrogant pissant with no respect for the ones who saved us..._

_No, no! I can't be all alone! Please, don't leave me alone Maon! I can't go back! Don't you understand?! I can't go back to any of them without you! Even going to Conis-chan would only be running away! You're the strong one, not me... please... please..._

"**DON'T DIE ON ME, MAON! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME TO RUN BY MYSELF! I'M SORRY, EVERYONE! I'M SORRY THAT I'VE BEEN AN UNGRATEFUL ARSE! JUST PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME NOW!**" Gormal screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice choked with tears. He then sat there shaking, damming back tears as he heard many a set of heavy footsteps at the entrance of the alleyway.

"Hey! Here's two of 'em!" came a voice. Gormal stood up as he heard the footsteps and voice grow louder.

"Oh, it's only these two," said another man. "This should be easy."

"You think I'm easy?" Gormal asked as he wiped the last of the tears from his eyes. He glared sideways at the men, most of whom were armed with nothing more than baseball bats and other large sticks. Gormal took the gun from his sash and let it drop on the ground next to Maon. "A Shandian is no walk-in-the-park match you know, even unarmed."

"A '_Shandian_'? Never heard of 'em," chuckled one of the men. "Where'd you fall into the Grand Line from spurting nonsense like that? The sky?" The men all laughed, but soon fell silent as Gormal cricked his neck and knuckles simultaneously.

"Spot on."

**80808080808080808**

"Chopper, did you see where Luffy went to?" Nami asked as she glanced around the city. She and Chopper were resting on the roof of a building, having finally found a moment to catch their breath.

"No, I haven't," Chopper replied. "Zoro, Sanji and Gormal are missing too! Why can't those assholes all stay together?"

"I have no idea. It's like they're all bent on doing this kind of thing to us all the time!"

"Hey! Look over there!" Chopper exclaimed, jumping up and down and pointing. "I see Zoro! I see Zoro!"

"Are you sure?" Nami asked, rushing over to look.

"How many people have green hair?"

"Zoro, you idiot!" the navigator laughed. "At least now we won't be alone."

**80808080808080808**

_Where in the hell am I going?_ Zoro grumbled. He looked around, finding that both sides of the walkway were completely deserted.

'_Beats me,'_ Kuina sighed. _'I'm just as lost as you are.'_

_This is just great!_ Zoro stopped running and kicked a trash bin over in anger. _What's going to happen when that storm comes!? We can't just stay out here and I bet that shipyard's crammed with people that want to kill us!_

'_Hang on, I have an idea,' _Kuina said. Zoro felt the Wado Ichimonji at his waist quiver and a rushing feeling come from his mouth. He gasped for air, as if all what had been in his lungs escaped. In a few seconds, he felt a hand lightly touch his shoulder and he could hear Kuina whisper not inside his head, but in his ear.

'_Forward, then left.'_

Immediately, Zoro began running forward without thought or question. He took a sharp left when another alleyway opened up. Carefully, he listened to Kuina's directions, still unsure of where he was going exactly.

'_Right, up these stairs, take another right, keep on going, those stairs... no, __**those **__stairs you idiot!'_

"Zoro!?"

Zoro spun around and saw that he was now standing on top of a roof, Nami and Chopper standing on the other side. He gasped as the rushing feeling surged back inside him, although his two nakama failed to notice.

"Zoro, you're alright!" Chopper squealed. The little reindeer ran up and hugged Zoro around the leg, squeaking softly.

"Where have you been!?" Nami snapped. "We are all supposed to stay together! Can't you guys do anything right!?"

"Excuse me for trying to save my ass!" Zoro spat back. He glared at Nami, who made a face back. "Do you two have any idea as to where anyone else is?"

"No, you were the first person we've found!" Chopper explained. He wrung his hooves and looked about nervously. "Do you think the others are alright?"

"They can take care of themselves," Zoro reassured sourly. The swordsman scowled, glancing over at the sky.

"What's the matter?" Nami asked.

"It's getting late," Zoro replied, taking note of the sun creeping down in the afternoon sky. "We've been running all day from the people here. Didn't that guy from the hotel say something about a high tide coming? There's going to find us eventually if there's only so many places we can go after this."

"...but he also said that suicidal madmen only brave Aqua Laguna," Nami retorted. Zoro looked sharply at the navigator and scowled.

"This town is so fiercely protective of their mayor, I doubt they'd retreat if the world was going to end. We have to get to high ground soon in order to survive and once we do, they won't go easy on us."

"Then we have to clear our names!" Nami protested.

"How are we going to do that?" Chopper asked, making it known he was still there. "Everyone wants to capture us!"

'Hey! I see Luffy!' Kuina shouted happily. Zoro grunted and scowled in response, wrenching his eyes shut. Nami and Chopper both stared at him oddly, even taking a step back when the swordsman hoarsely gasped twice, the second time signaling the boisterous entrance of Luffy.

"Zoro! Nami! Chopper! There you guys are!" the captain cheered as he ran over to his nakama. "I thought I was going crazy when this pretty voice started to talk in me ear, but now I'm here with you! Have you heard anything about the rest of the guys yet?"

"Nope," Nami said. "We were just talking about how we have to clear our name in order to safely sit out the coming storm. I can feel the typhoon coming and it won't be too much longer before it hits."

"I kept on hearing people talk about Robin," Luffy said. He screwed his face in concentration. "How does everyone know that she's part of our crew if she's not been with us this whole time? They keep on blaming Robin for the fact that Ice-ossan's hurt, but I know that she wouldn't do something like that!"

"She was our enemy before," Zoro mentioned, "so what's the odds that she might turn traitor on us like she did on Crocodile?"

"Zoro!" Nami snapped. "How dare you think like that! Robin wouldn't frame us for something like this!"

"How do you know?" Zoro snapped back. "Here's the answer: we don't. Yeah, she's been our nakama for a long time, but she obviously has a track record! Remember that letter Luffy got? Something tells me that it wasn't just a coincidence."

"Then I think we need to straighten this out before we go any farther," Luffy said. He thought for a moment before frowning. "How do we straighten this out?"

"Your idea," Nami said. "Do you really think I've got a plan for this?"

"Then I guess we're going to have to go straight to the source of the problem," Luffy said.

"What do you mean Luffy?" Chopper asked. The reindeer then gasped. "Wait! You can't mean going to Galley La!"

"Of course!" Luffy replied.. "I don't believe that Robin would have done something like this without have being in big trouble to begin with. I need to talk to Ice-ossan and get the real story."

"Luffy, you're nuts," Zoro snorted. His captain just gave him a stern glance before turning to Nami to ask for directions.

'_He's really serious about this.'_ Kuina said.

_No shit_, Zoro replied. _I always knew that woman was nothing but trouble_.

Zoro waited patiently for a reply from Kuina. She was eerily silent, something that did not bode well for the swordsman.

"Come on Zoro, we're going to find the shipyard now," Nami said. She turned on her heel to begin walking towards the staircase, but was stopped by the distinct sound of someone falling down on the ground. She spun around and saw that Zoro had slumped down to the ground.

"Chopper!" the redhead gasped. The reindeer looked towards Zoro and after a few choice expletives, ran over to Zoro to tend to the swordsman.

"Don't tell me he's going crazy on us again!?" Nami panicked.

"I don't know that for sure," Chopper said as he took off his knapsack to look for supplies. He looked at Zoro with a worried face. Zoro had fallen down on his side, eyes snapped wide open and his mouth agape. He was still breathing, but each breath was sharp and pointed.

"This is getting ridiculous," Nami sighed, rubbing her temple. "Luffy, I guess it's just going to be you and me."

"...but I wanna make sure Zoro's okay!" Luffy whined. The straw-hatted captain pouted at Nami, who apparently was far from fazed.

"Hey, you were the one who wanted to go and talk with Iceburg-san, not me," she argued. Nami was about to continue when Zoro gasped suddenly, sputtering and coughing madly.

"Whoa! Hold on there Zoro! You need to take it easy for a moment!" Chopper exclaimed. Zoro just pushed himself up to his feet, breathing as if he had just run a marathon.

"Damn it... why do you keep on doing that!" Zoro muttered.

"Keep on doing what Zoro?" Luffy asked. The swordsman looked up to see his nakama all giving him apprehensive looks. "Are you getting sick again?" Zoro just pointed in the direction of the center of town.

"That way," he panted. "Galley La is that way and we need to get there, now."

"What are you talking about? Of course we need to get there..." Nami started. Zoro cut her off by grabbing her by the arms to look her dead in the eyes.

"No, we need to get there, _**right now**_. If there is a chance we can get Robin back, then it's disappearing as we speak."

"Then let's go," Nami said, stepping away from Zoro and leading the way down the staircase.

_Stop it_, Zoro thought as he followed Nami.

'_I'm only trying to help,'_ Kuina protested.

_You're not helping. What you're doing is just making me look strange! I saw the looks they were giving me! This is not only weird, but it's really getting on my nerves!_

'_What am I supposed to do, stay silent?! They're my nakama too...!'_

Zoro did not allow Kuina to finish her complete rant before blocking her out. The swordsman made sure to follow close behind Nami and Chopper as they led the way so that he and Luffy would not make them lost.

With any luck, they would end this nonsense before the sun rose in the morning.

* * *

Author's Notes

Gormal: Yay! Character development! Poor bloke. Hmm... now this makes me wonder what is going to happen after... yeah... -hasn't written that far yet-

Kuina: Uh... yeah...? -hopeful grin- She can lead people due to her "I'm a ghost" powers. If it was just her inside Zoro's soul, as usual, then she'd get lost. -shot-

Title: "Catch Me If You Can" is a film outlining the story of one of the biggest American fraud stories ever. There's also Leonardo DiCaprio... another actor who annoys me. I remember seeing him on the family television sitcom and going "You're too pretty. Go away." His acting makes me laugh and I have no idea why. Even when he's being dead serious I laugh.

Next Chapter: If there is no chapter by midnight on the twenty-third (or fourth? How'd that work?), Pacific Standard Time, then don't expect one until December. Why? I'm a bad person.


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